Chocolate Tiramisu
Submitted by cynsea
Chocolate tiramisu layers espresso-soaked ladyfingers with mascarpone cream spiked with Marsala, Triple Sec, and brandy, then folds in bittersweet chocolate between every layer. A grown-up Italian no-bake dessert that chills in just one hour.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
25 minCOOK
0 minREADY
1½ hrsChocolate tiramisu takes the classic Italian pick-me-up and gives it a deep cocoa twist. Eight ounces of bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine and showered between layers, melts faintly into the mascarpone cream as the dessert chills, leaving little pockets of dark chocolate in every spoonful.
The liquor blend is what makes this version sing. Marsala for that traditional tiramisu backbone, Triple Sec for citrus brightness, and brandy for warmth, all stirred straight into the mascarpone mix.
Beat the egg yolks until they pale to a creamy lemon color before adding the mascarpone, that step builds the airy structure. And whisk the whites to stiff peaks in a spotless bowl, any trace of fat keeps them from holding shape.
Pro Tips
- Use fresh, room-temperature eggs. This is an uncooked-egg dessert, so quality and freshness matter for both safety and flavor.
- Soak ladyfingers quickly, a one-second dip per side. Over-soaked cookies turn the dessert into a soupy mess, dry ones stay too crisp.
- Chop the chocolate fine. Big chunks freeze in the cold dessert and break teeth, fine bits melt softly against the cream.
- An hour minimum, overnight ideal. The flavors marry deeper the longer it chills, and slicing gets cleaner past the four-hour mark.
Variations
- Swap orange extract for a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract for a more traditional flavor profile.
- Use coffee liqueur like Kahlúa in place of the Triple Sec for a deeper coffee note.
- Top the final layer with a dusting of cocoa powder and shaved white chocolate for visual contrast.
Ingredients
Directions
Arrange the ladyfingers on a plate and lightly soak them with the cooled espresso.
Put half of the soaked ladyfingers in one layer in a rectangular serving dish.
While the ladyfingers are soaking, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until the yolks turn pale in color.
Add the mascarpone, the liquors, and the extract, and stir gently.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with a wire whisk until they are stiff.
Gently fold the whites into the mascarpone mixture.
Use half of this mixture to make a layer on top of the ladyfingers in the serving dish.
Sprinkle with half of the chopped chocolate.
Repeat the procedure with another layer of soaked ladyfingers, the mascarpone mixture, and chocolate.
Cover with tin foil and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
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