Looking for more ways to multi-task? How about caffeinating while you eat dessert?
Enter: tiramisu. Composed of espresso-soaked cookies layered with rich cream, this is a crowd-pleasing, easy dessert to make again and again. The luscious, layered, caffeinated treat requires no baking at all and can be made ahead to set in the fridge—ideal for entertaining a group for dinner or brunch. Or, you can be smart and save the whole dish for yourself while you Netflix and chill—it’s called therapy.
Aptly named, tiramisu translates to “pick-me-up” or “cheer me up” in Italian. Legend has it that a version of the dish dates back to 1800 in the city of Treviso, when an Italian Signora served the caffeinated, egg yolk-laden treat as an aphrodisiac dessert to gentlemen callers. Flash forward to the 1960s when a modern-day Treviso restaurant, Le Beccherie, officially (and finally) put this local’s favorite dessert on a menu. Now, you’ll find tiramisu in bakeries the world over.
While we can’t personally attest to an aphrodisiac effect, we can confirm this highly caffeinated concoction is delicious.
[Photo credit: Victoria Alexandrova via Unsplash]
We took a classic version of this cult-classic dessert and made a few tweaks. We cut the sugar a bit, added extra chocolate and swapped the traditional rum for almond-flavored liquor. (Nothing says Italian desserts like amaretto—anyone who loves rainbow cookies can tell you that.) Espresso-soaked savioardi, aka “ladyfingers,” are cozily lined up along the bottom of the pan, then spread with a thick layer of mascarpone cream and dusted with cocoa powder. Repeat that and top the whole thing off with shaved dark chocolate. Delizioso!
Deathspresso Tiramisu Recipe
Ingredients:
- 6 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 pound mascarpone cheese
- 1 1/2 cups Death Wish Espresso Roast coffee, cooled
- 3-4 tablespoons amaretto, to taste
- 24 packaged ladyfingers
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate shavings, for garnish
Directions:
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer with whisk attachment to beat egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale, about 5 minutes. Add mascarpone cheese and beat until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon of espresso and mix until thoroughly combined.
- In a shallow dish, add remaining espresso and amaretto. Dip each ladyfinger into espresso for only 5 seconds. Letting the ladyfingers soak too long will cause them to fall apart. Place the soaked ladyfinger on the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish, breaking them in half if necessary to fit the bottom.
- Spread evenly 1/2 of the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers. Sprinkle cocoa powder over the top. Arrange another layer of soaked ladyfingers and top with the remaining mascarpone mixture. Sprinkle a layer of cocoa powder on top. Finish with a light dusting of chocolate shavings.
- Cover tiramisu and refrigerate for at least 2 hours—up to 8 hours before serving.
Serve with Death Wish Espresso Roast Coffee or your favorite Death Wish Coffee blend and smile big—your pick-me-up is here.