Chocolaty Tiramisu
By Matthew FairmanPublished on April 19, 2022
Time
40 minutes, plus 6 hours chilling
Yield
Serves 8
Ingredients
Before You Begin
You can use pasteurized eggs here, but you may need to increase the whipping time in step 2 in order to get stiff peaks. Be sure to use the crisp, firm ladyfingers found in the supermarket cookie or international aisle, not the fresh, cake-like ladyfingers found in the bakery department. Twenty-four ladyfingers will weigh about 7 ounces. Do not use Whole Foods brand mascarpone for this tiramisu; the filling will be soupy. For a version without alcohol, you can substitute more coffee for the rum. Orange zest adds a pleasant floral brightness to this tiramisu; if you prefer a more traditional rendition, you can omit it. We call for an 8-inch square baking dish, but this tiramisu can also be made in eight 12-ounce serving glasses.
Instructions
- Whisk 1 cup hot strong brewed coffee, ¼ cup instant espresso powder, ¼ cup dark rum, and ¼ teaspoon table salt in pie plate until espresso powder dissolves; set aside.
- Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip 3 large egg whites on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer whites to bowl.
- In now-empty mixer bowl, whip 3 large egg yolks, ½ cup sugar, 2 teaspoons grated orange zest, and remaining ¼ teaspoon table salt on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-high and whip until tripled in volume and ribbons form on top of mixture when dribbled from whisk, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add 1 pound chilled mascarpone cheese to yolk mixture and whip on medium speed until no lumps remain, about 30 seconds, scraping down bowl as necessary. Scrape down bowl and stir by hand to ensure mixture is uniform.
- Whisk one-third of egg whites into mascarpone mixture to lighten it. Using rubber spatula, gently fold in remaining whites until no white streaks remain. Set aside mascarpone mixture.
- Combine ⅓ cup bittersweet chocolate chips and ⅓ cup heavy cream in 1-cup liquid measuring cup and microwave until melted and smooth, 30 to 60 seconds, stirring halfway through microwaving. Set chocolate ganache aside.
- Working with 12 dried ladyfingers, drop 1 ladyfinger at a time into coffee mixture; roll quickly to coat (about 3 seconds); remove; and arrange in single layer in 8-inch square baking dish, breaking ladyfingers as needed to cover bottom of dish.
- Using offset spatula, spread half of mascarpone mixture (about 2 cups) on top of ladyfingers in even layer. Slowly drizzle chocolate ganache evenly over mascarpone mixture and spread into even layer using offset spatula. Repeat dipping and layering with remaining 12 dried ladyfingers, remaining coffee mixture, and remaining mascarpone mixture.
- Using fine-mesh strainer, dust 4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder evenly over tiramisu. Cover loosely with plastic wrap (taking care not to press plastic onto surface) and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours. Serve chilled.
Time
40 minutes, plus 6 hours chillingYield
Serves 8Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
This Chocolaty Tiramisu boasts everything you love about the iconic Italian dessert—layers of moist, espresso-soaked ladyfingers sandwiched with rich, airy mascarpone cream—but with an added layer of luscious chocolate ganache. Whipping egg whites to stiff peaks before gently folding them into a whipped mixture of sugar, egg yolks, and mascarpone gave the classic, mildly sweet cheese filling a heavenly lightness. Briefly rolling the ladyfingers (rather than submerging them) in a potent mixture of coffee, espresso powder, and dark rum ensured that they turned perfectly tender and cake-like rather than soggy and were exceptionally flavorful. Using a 1:1 ratio of cream to chocolate for the ganache resulted in a soft, creamy texture even after chilling. This twist is sure to please tiramisu purists and chocolate lovers alike.
Before You Begin
You can use pasteurized eggs here, but you may need to increase the whipping time in step 2 in order to get stiff peaks. Be sure to use the crisp, firm ladyfingers found in the supermarket cookie or international aisle, not the fresh, cake-like ladyfingers found in the bakery department. Twenty-four ladyfingers will weigh about 7 ounces. Do not use Whole Foods brand mascarpone for this tiramisu; the filling will be soupy. For a version without alcohol, you can substitute more coffee for the rum. Orange zest adds a pleasant floral brightness to this tiramisu; if you prefer a more traditional rendition, you can omit it. We call for an 8-inch square baking dish, but this tiramisu can also be made in eight 12-ounce serving glasses.
Instructions
- Whisk 1 cup hot strong brewed coffee, ¼ cup instant espresso powder, ¼ cup dark rum, and ¼ teaspoon table salt in pie plate until espresso powder dissolves; set aside.
- Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip 3 large egg whites on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer whites to bowl.
- In now-empty mixer bowl, whip 3 large egg yolks, ½ cup sugar, 2 teaspoons grated orange zest, and remaining ¼ teaspoon table salt on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-high and whip until tripled in volume and ribbons form on top of mixture when dribbled from whisk, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add 1 pound chilled mascarpone cheese to yolk mixture and whip on medium speed until no lumps remain, about 30 seconds, scraping down bowl as necessary. Scrape down bowl and stir by hand to ensure mixture is uniform.
- Whisk one-third of egg whites into mascarpone mixture to lighten it. Using rubber spatula, gently fold in remaining whites until no white streaks remain. Set aside mascarpone mixture.
- Combine ⅓ cup bittersweet chocolate chips and ⅓ cup heavy cream in 1-cup liquid measuring cup and microwave until melted and smooth, 30 to 60 seconds, stirring halfway through microwaving. Set chocolate ganache aside.
- Working with 12 dried ladyfingers, drop 1 ladyfinger at a time into coffee mixture; roll quickly to coat (about 3 seconds); remove; and arrange in single layer in 8-inch square baking dish, breaking ladyfingers as needed to cover bottom of dish.
- Using offset spatula, spread half of mascarpone mixture (about 2 cups) on top of ladyfingers in even layer. Slowly drizzle chocolate ganache evenly over mascarpone mixture and spread into even layer using offset spatula. Repeat dipping and layering with remaining 12 dried ladyfingers, remaining coffee mixture, and remaining mascarpone mixture.
- Using fine-mesh strainer, dust 4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder evenly over tiramisu. Cover loosely with plastic wrap (taking care not to press plastic onto surface) and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours. Serve chilled.
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