By Caroline Schiff, from Daily Dessert
Traveling alone in Rome some years ago, I decided to take myself to an indulgent, multicourse lunch. With no dining companion to chat with, I simply relished in the food-the flavors, aromas, and textures. The dessert menu arrived and had maybe two or three choices, which were irrelevant, because I only wanted tiramisu. Tiramisu, meaning "pick-me-up" in Italian, is one of my favorite desserts. I love how you dip down into the ladyfinger layers with a spoon, emerging with the luxurious, espresso-infused, yolky mascarpone. The one I experienced that solo afternoon was outrageous. A single portion of tiramisu in a little glass, the yolks and sugar had been whisked so vigorously, not a granule could be detected, and even folded with the mascarpone, it held its shape, tall and sturdy on the end of my spoon. It was mind-bogglingly light as air yet impossibly rich. I devoured it, and vowed that someday I'd try to replicate such perfection. Well, dear readers, here we are. Whip the dickens out of those egg yolks, and once assembled, give the tiramisu a few hours in the fridge to settle and soften before diving in.
Ingredients
1/3 cup (80 ml) espresso or strong coffee, cooled
3 tablespoons (40 g) sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup (60 ml) mascarpone
1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream
6 store-bought ladyfinger cookies
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
Makes one 10-ounce (300 ml) tiramisu
Pour the espresso or coffee in a small baking dish. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar, egg yolk, vanilla, and salt, and whisk vigorously by hand or using hand beaters on medium-high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until thick, pale yellow, and doubled in size. Transfer to the fridge to keep cool.
In a small bowl, whisk the mascarpone by hand or using hand beaters for 1 to 2 minutes, until loosened and smooth. Set aside.
In another mixing bowl, whisking by hand or using hand beaters on medium-high speed, whip the cream for 2 to 3 minutes, until stiff. Gently fold the mascarpone through the whipped cream with a spatula, and then gently fold the cream mixture into the egg mixture in three additions, folding through until fully combined.
Dip the ladyfingers into the espresso one by one, but do not let them sit in the liquid, as they are quite delicate. Place 3 ladyfingers in the bottom of a 10-ounce (300 ml) capacity ramekin or a small, deep bowl or baking dish of comparable size. You can break them if needed to fit. Top with half of the cream mixture, and gently smooth out to cover the ladyfingers. Place the remaining ladyfingers on top, soaking them as you go, and finish with the remaining cream mixture, smoothing it out once again to fully cover the cookies.
Cover the tiramisu with a piece of plastic and transfer to the fridge to chill for 3 to 6 hours. When you're ready to serve, dust the top with the cocoa powder using a small, fine-mesh strainer and serve. Although the ladyfingers will continue to soften, any leftovers will keep covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Recipe reprinted from Daily Dessert: Treats on Repeat by Caroline Schiff (Abrams Books, 2026).
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