Tiramisu

By GadgetGirl

Tiramisu is a light Italian dessert of ladyfingers infused with espresso and liqueur, layered with a rich cheese filling and topped with grated chocolate. The name tiramisù means "pick-me-up", referring to the two caffeine-containing ingredients, espresso and chocolate.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup espresso
• 1 ounce coffee liqueur
• 1 ounce dark rum
• 24 ladyfingers (7-ounce bag)
• 4 egg yokes
• 1/4 cup Splenda or sugar
• 1 ounce orange liqueur
• 1 ounce dark rum Myers's
• 2 ounces sweet Marsala wine
• 1/2 teaspoon orange zest, grated
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pound mascarpone cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• Semi-sweet chocolate, room temperature

Preparation

Step 1

Mix together the espresso, coffee liqueur and 1-ounce of dark rum.

Place a wax paper strip around the inside wall of an assembled eight inch springform pan. Cut ten to twelve lady fingers exactly in half and use a pastry brush to paint the expresso mixture onto each ladyfinger half. Arrange the ladyfingers, cut side down around the parameter of the pan, against the wax paper. Do not soak these parameter ladyfingers, as they will fall apart if they absorb too much liquid.

Make a zabaglione: Place egg yokes in the top of a double boiler and mix in Splenda, orange liqueur, 1-ounce rum, Marsala, zest and vanilla extract. Place over gently boiling water and stir continually with a hand mixer. The zabaglione will thicken. Bring the zabaglione to 140°F and remove from heat. Place the pan in cold water to cool.

Fold the mascarpone cheese into the cooled zabaglione. Beat the whipping cream until thick. Fold the whipped cream into the zabaglione.

Line the bottom of the springform pan with 1/2 of the remaining ladyfingers which have been well painted with the expresso mixture. Layer 1/2 of the zabaglione over the ladyfingers. Make another layer with the remaining espresso soaked ladyfingers. Layer the remaining zabaglione over ladyfingers. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Before serving, let the tiramisu come almost to room temperature, remove the pan's side and the wax paper. Garnish with semi-sweet chocolate curls.

Get 2 bags of ladyfingers if your springform pan is over 8-inches in diameter. 1 bag is lean for an eight inch pan.