Tiramisu

The cream didn't set due to one of three reasons: underwhipped egg whites (you need stiff peaks), warm coffee (soaked biscuits release moisture into the cream), or too little time in the fridge. The minimum is 6 hours, but overnight is ideal. Make sure the coffee is completely cold before dipping the ladyfingers.

The best substitute: blend 250 g of full-fat cottage cheese (9%) with 200 g of thick sour cream (25–30%) and beat until smooth. The second option is cream cheese (Philadelphia) in the same quantity — the flavor will be slightly saltier but the texture is close. Low-fat cottage cheese won't work — the cream will turn watery.

Without alcohol: add 1 teaspoon of almond extract to the coffee, or simply increase the coffee quantity. Alcoholic alternatives: dark rum, Kahlúa, or Marsala — use 3–4 tablespoons per 300 ml of coffee. The flavor will change slightly but the dessert won't suffer.

Up to 3 days in a tightly covered dish. By day 4 the biscuits have fully softened and lost their structure, and the cream begins to separate. Freezing is not recommended — after thawing the cream becomes watery and the layers lose definition.

Yes. Replace the eggs with 300 ml of heavy cream (33%+): whip to stiff peaks and fold into the mascarpone. This version is safer (no raw eggs) and holds its shape well. The flavor will be slightly less rich, but the texture will be more stable and easier to slice cleanly.