Tiramisu
Tiramisu, which translates from Italian as 'cheer me up', is one of the world's most famous Italian desserts — layers of espresso-soaked Savoiardi biscuits and creamy mascarpone.
Ingredients
- 4 very fresh eggs, pasteurised if serving children, pregnant women or older guests (all 4 whites and 2 yolks go in; 2 yolks are spare)
- 500 gmascarpone cheese
- 300 ggranulated sugar
- 300 mlbrewed black coffee
- 10 tbspAmaretto liqueur
- 250-300 gSavoiardi biscuits
- 2 tbspcocoa powder
Method
- Separate yolks from whites. Beat mascarpone with sugar and the two egg yolks using a mixer. The recipe needs only two of the four yolks: cover the other two and keep them in the fridge for another dish, such as custard or carbonara, within a day or two.
- In a separate bowl, beat all egg whites to a stiff foam. Gently fold the whipped whites into the cheese mixture.
- Brew strong black coffee without sugar and cool. In a wide bowl, mix coffee and Amaretto. Briefly dip the Savoiardi biscuits in the mixture.
- In a rectangular dish, place soaked biscuits in a dense single layer. Cover with about half the cream, then add another layer of biscuits and the remaining cream.
- Refrigerate for 8-10 hours. Before serving, sprinkle generously with cocoa powder and cut into portions. Decorate with mint leaves if desired.
FAQ
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.
Rate this
Recipes by email
One letter a week: a recipe picked for your taste, plus whatever is new on the site. Unsubscribe in one click.
Welcome gift: Sergei's cookbook (e-book).
By subscribing you agree to the privacy policy.
Tell us what you like to cook (30 seconds) →Keep browsing
More dishes from the Italian archive — picked by overlap with what you're cooking now.
Join the conversation
Comments (6)
терамису высший
Попробовали приготовить тирамису.. Это просто пушка, бомба, питарда😊 Обалденно получилось. Спасибо большое за рецепт 😉
Ricetta della nonna praticamente uguale. Solo che noi mettiamo un po di marsala nel caffe, provate fa una differenza enorme
La ricetta di mia nonna era quasi identica, solo che lei metteva un cucchiaino di marsala dentro la crema. Provate, fa una differenza enorme. I savoiardi devono essere bagnati velocemente non inzuppati!
Каждый второй домашний тирамису — это мокрое печенье в луже крема. Люди макают савоярди в кофе на полминуты, а потом удивляются, что десерт расползается. Окунул — вытащил, секунда максимум. И ради всего святого, не заменяйте маскарпоне творожным сыром, это совсем другой продукт.
The mascarpone must be at room temperature for tiramisu — cold mascarpone fights against the egg yolk mixture and creates lumps no amount of stirring can fix. And dip the ladyfingers quickly, just 1-2 seconds per side. Soggy ladyfingers are the number one reason homemade tiramisu turns into a puddle.