An Italian dessert that’s perfect for when you don’t want to turn on the oven, tiramisu is the ideal dessert. Layers of creamy mascarpone pile on top of ladyfinger cookies drenched in espresso, all dusted with cocoa powder. I mean, what’s not to love?!
Although I’m a purist when it comes to recipes and traditional flavors, there’s one unique twist hidden in the layers of this version of tiramisu: Pan di Stelle cookies. These chocolate hazelnut cookies are one of my all-time favorites and they mesh so well with the velvety mascarpone and strong espresso. Pan di Stelle cookies also give the tiramisu a unique hint of hazelnut that is a perfect marriage! You can find Pan di Stelle cookies online or find them at most Italian grocery stores.
If you don’t want to use Pan di Stelle cookies, no worries! Omit them and use only ladyfingers or swap them for your favorite cookie.This recipe also calls for pasteurized eggs – which are not difficult to make! The verdict’s out for whether you should or shouldn’t use raw eggs but I tried out the pasteurization method and was pleasantly surprised.
How to pasteurize eggs
- Take the eggs out of the fridge. Wait 20 minutes so the eggs come up to room temperature.
- Place the eggs in a pot and pour enough cold water so it covers the eggs completely.
- Set your stove to medium.
- Keep monitoring the water temperature with a thermometer – make sure it only touches the water and not the eggs or pan itself!
- Once the water reaches 138 degrees Fahrenheit, reduce the heat to low.
- Once the water reaches 140 degrees Fahrenheit, set a timer for 3 minutes (for large eggs) and maintain the temperature. Do this by alternating between keeping the pot on the heat and removing it from the heat in order to maintain the water at 140 degrees.
- For jumbo or extra-large eggs, do this for 4 minutes instead of 3.
- Carefully transfer the eggs to a bowl with ice water. Carefully swirl the eggs in the ice water for 1 min. Let the eggs rest in water for 10 min.
- You can store the pasteurized eggs for up to 1 week!
Although this tiramisu recipe is easy to whip together, I highly recommend you leave it in the fridge for as long as you can – overnight is best – to ensure all of the layers blend together and produce the dreamiest dessert!
As for the ladyfinger cookies, or Savoiardi as they’re also referred to, make sure these are fully drenched in the espresso as you build your tiramisu layers. You want there the coffee to penetrate all the way through the cookies but not make them too mushy at the same time. Try drenching one cookie, on both sides, and try to break it apart. If it’s still crispy inside, you’ll want to make sure you keep the cookie submerged in the coffee for a bit longer on both sides.
Above all, have fun with this iconic dessert! Feel free to experiment with this recipe and let me know what you thought about it!
Equipment
- 4 ramekins (8 oz each)
- KitchenAid Stand Mixer or Electric Hand Mixer
Ingredients
- About half 14 oz. package (or ~24 cookies) Ladyfinger cookies ~24 cookies
- About 14 Pan di Stelle cookies, plus 4 for decorating
- 500 grams mascarpone
- 2 cups freshly brewed espresso
- 4 large eggs, pasteurized follow easy pasteurization instructions within blog post
- 120 grams white sugar
- Cacao powder for sprinkling on top of the ramekins
Instructions
- Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks – make sure no egg yolk gets in the whites!
- Place egg whites in a large bowl.
- Add half of the sugar to the egg yolks and beat with the electric whisk until you achieve a pale yellowish color.
- Whisk the mascarpone into the egg yolk mixture little by little until it’s all incorporated. Set aside and clean the whisk attachment (important for the next step!)
- In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk the egg whites and add the remaining sugar little by little until you achieve stiff peaks.
- With a spatula, add the egg white mixture to the egg yolk mixture bit by bit, making sure all of the egg whites are incorporated into the yolks.
- Cover the bottom of your ramekins with the egg and cream mixture.
- Dip ladyfingers in the espresso and arrange them in your ramekins so you create one layer of cookies – see note above about the consistency you should aim for when dipping the ladyfinger cookies!
- Create another layer of egg and cream mixture, making sure you completely cover the ladyfingers from the previous layer.
- Dip the Pan di Stelle cookies in espresso and arrange them to create another layer above the egg and cream mixture.
- Alternate between the egg and cream mixture layers and the ladyfinger layers until you reach the top, making sure you finish off with an egg and cream mixture layer.
- Sprinkle cocoa powder on the last layer of egg and cream mixture.
- Chill in the fridge for 2-4 hours, or overnight if possible.
- Enjoy right out of the fridge and accompany with your favorite espresso!
Maria Eugenia says
My favorite dessert ,delicious and easy at the same time.