Classic Homemade Tiramisu

I'm a huge tiramisu fan, and I mean huge. It's one of my favorite desserts and it's one of the things I try and order each time I see it on the menu, but I'm often disappointed. It's usually too soggy or too boozy, and that just doesn't mesh well with me. 

A large part of the reason I like to make things at home is that I get to control the outcome and make things just how I like it. And this recipe is perfect, at least to my preferences. It's not one of those shortcut recipes so you'll need to make an egg custard over a water bath and all that other jazz, but I promise that it's worth it in the end. My roomie said that she liked it more than tiramisus that she's tried from restaurants :DD

THE CLASSIC TIRAMISU

Recipe from Cooking for Engineeres

• 6 oz espresso or strong coffee + 1 tsp sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 shot whiskey
• 8 oz mascarpone cheese
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 pack of ladyfinger cookies (about 20)
• 1 Tbsp cocoa powder

Brew your coffee! I just used instant decaf, and added in 1 tsp sugar.

Take your egg yolks and beat until it's fluffy and lightened in color.

Add sugar and alcohol, whisk until well blended, and cook over a hot water bath until thickened (stirring frequently) to a thick custard.

Whip up your whipped cream until you have soft peaks.

In a separate bowl, beat mascarpone cheese until fluffy, then beat in the egg custard mixture.

Fold the whipped cream carefully into the egg/mascarpone mixture. Don't just stir or it'll deflate!

This is your setup for putting your tiramisu together. Line your tin with two layers of plastic wrap. Soak each ladyfinger cookie in the espresso for about 10 seconds on each side, then place them side by side in the tin.

Spread half of the cream mixture on top of the ladyfingers. Smooth out.

Add another layer of soaked ladyfingers, and then spread the rest of the cream mixture on top and smooth. Cover in more plastic wrap and refrigerate for a couple of hours to overnight.

When ready to serve, invert onto a serving plate and remove the plastic wrap.

Sift some cocoa powder on top for decoration.

Cut slices and eat! I like how the ladyfinger size delineates an approximate portion (I think a serving = a slice two ladyfingers wide, some people think it's just one though...)