Tiramisu

 I spent a month in Italy this summer and now it's time to share.  I will be posting my favorite  cooking experiences that will rock your world (and recipes, too).

Hi, it's me again... but this time I actually have a recipe.  Gosh, it had been so long it took me awhile to crank this one out.
At least it took about twice the time as it did for me to down this tiramisu.

This is the recipe of the moment for so many reasons...
A. No turning on the oven required. Here in 102 degree Houston that is reason enough, but wait, there's more.
B.  It's so easy! Maybe it's just me, but I thought tiramisu was fancy and you had to be real fancy in the kitchen to make it.  False.  Easy as can be.
C.  You can make this in advance.  In fact it actually tastes better the next day.  I absolutely adore recipes made in advance.  I absolutely hate slaving away at the last minute before mealtime.

So just in case you needed convincing, I hope you're on board now because here we go!

Wait... a fun fact before we get going.  Did you know?  The translation of Tiramisu in Italian is "pick me up", due to the sugar and caffeine combo in the recipe.

Now we are ready...

All you need is to prep your different layers and begin building...

Layers of coffee & liqueur soaked lady fingers... 

with delicious creamy filling....

topped with cocoa. It's just dreamy. 

This was one of my favorite recipes I picked up at Cooking in Tuscany.  Simple, but so good.  

Can't beat that with a stick. 

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Traditional Tiramisu
From Cooking in Tuscany
Recipe Notes
This is one of those recipes that you cannot really mess up if you have your different parts made correctly.   I prefer to use small individual dishes, but you could also make this in a shallow dish to feed 4 together.  If you need to feed more, use a larger dish and double or triple the recipe.
Ingredients
3 large eggs, separated
3 Tbs sugar
8 oz.  mascarpone cheese
2 Tbs. coffee liqueur or amaretto (optional)
4 Tbs. ml espresso or strong coffee, cold or at room temperature
8 to 10 oz.  lady fingers
cocoa powder
Step by Step
With an electric mixer, beat the egg yokes and sugar until the mixture is thick and pale.  Add the mascarpone and keep whisking.  Mix in the liqueur or amaretto and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites and a pinch of salt until firm.  You want your egg whites to get stiff.  Using a spatula, gently fold them into the mascarpone mixture.  Place the cold coffee in a shallow bowl.  Dip the biscuits in the coffee then place them in the serving dish in a single layer.  Pour the mascarpone mixture on top of the layer of biscuits.  Place another layer of coffee-soaked biscuits on top and repeat the process until all biscuits have been used.  End with a layer of the mascarpone mixture on top.  Cover the dish with plastic wrap and chill for a few hours or overnight.  Before serving, dust the tiramisu with cocoa powder or freshly grated chocolate.