Another of my favourite Italian desserts is Tiramisu (which translates as 'pick me up'). During a recent trip to Italy I discovered the classic recipe includes whipped eggs which makes it much creamier and lighter than the versions I'd made before. I hope you like this recipe as much as I do.
What you'll need:
2 eggs, separated
1/4 cup caster sugar
150g mascarpone cheese
150ml thickened cream
2 tblsp coffee liqueur (such as Kahlua)
1 tblsp instant coffee powder
1 cup warm water
250g packet sponge finger biscuits
Grated dark chocolate to decorate
Beat the egg yolks and sugar together in a large bowl until pale and creamy. Gently fold in the mascarpone and liqueur. Whip the cream to firm peaks and fold into the mascarpone mixture. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form and gently fold into the mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Combine the coffee and warm water in a shallow dish, stirring until the coffee has dissolved. Dip half the biscuits (1 at a time) in the coffee, turning to coat, then place in a single layer over the base of an appropriately sized dish. Don't worry if you need to break some biscuits in half to make them fit snugly.
Spread half the mascarpone mixture over the biscuits to cover. Repeat the layers with remaining dipped biscuits and mascarpone mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight). Sprinkle with grated chocolate before serving.
