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Tiramisu for Two

Source of Recipe

From "The Home Cook: Recipes to Know By Heart" by Alex Guarnaschelli


Recipe Introduction

"While I always went for the cannoli or the sfogliatella when we hit an Italian bakery when I was a child, I now also appreciate a good tiramisu. Instead of the usual party-size creation, this smaller-scale recipe leaves you just enough to enjoy a little left over the next day. Tiramisu rides a perfect line between pudding and cake. I also think that chocolate and dark rum is one of life's great combinations."

List of Ingredients

â—¦  12 ladyfingers
â—¦  3 large egg yolks
â—¦  â…“ cup sugar
â—¦  â…“ cup sweet Marsala
â—¦  ½ cup heavy cream
â—¦  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
â—¦  6 ounces mascarpone cheese, whisked slightly
â—¦  1 cup strong brewed coffee, cooled
â—¦  1 tablespoon dark rum
â—¦  1 tablespoon clover honey
â—¦  4 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely grated
â—¦  2 teaspoons unsweetened dark cocoa powder


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Dry the ladyfingers:
Arrange the ladyfingers in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 10 minutes to dry them out. Set them aside to cool.

Start the filling:
Create a makeshift double boiler by bringing 2 inches of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks and sugar on high speed until pale and lemon-colored, 5 to 8 minutes. Lower the speed and add the Marsala and 1 tablespoon cold water. Remove the bowl from the mixer and set it over the pan of simmering water and whisk steadily until the eggs reach 160° F, 5 to 8 minutes. (Use a deep-frying or candy thermometer to monitor the temperature.) Remove from the heat and transfer to a cool bowl.

Make the mascarpone cream:
In another bowl, beat the heavy cream until it forms soft peaks and then add the vanilla. Use a rubber spatula to mix the mascarpone into the whipped cream. Fold in the egg mixture.

Assemble the tiramisu:
In a small bowl, stir together the coffee, rum, and honey. Quickly dip both sides of half of the ladyfingers into the coffee mixture and arrange them vertically around the edges of a small deep serving bowl. Spoon half of the mascarpone cream into the bowl, and sprinkle it with half of the grated chocolate. Dip and layer in the remaining ladyfingers, gently pressing down to pack the tiramisu into the bowl. Spread the remaining mascarpone cream over the ladyfingers and top with the remaining grated chocolate. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Just before serving, sift the cocoa powder over the top of the tiramisu.

Serves 2 to 4