Tiramisu

Sigh. Tiramisu. The first time I tried it was back when I lived in L.A., and it happened to also be the first time I tried risotto. I was having dinner with my L.A. boss, her boss from Connecticut, and my four other coworkers. The risotto experience was triumphant enough—the creamy, al dente deliciousness of each bite just about did me in. But then the Connecticut boss took the liberty of ordering a round of Tiramisu for the table… and my life has never been the same. I mean that, too. It changed instantly and was forever altered. But in a really good way.

First Up! The Cast of Characters: Eggs, sugar, Marsala wine, cream, Savoiardi (ladyfingers), espresso or strong coffee, vanilla, mascarpone cheese, and cocoa. Prepare yourself for greatness, my friends.

Put some water into a saucepan. Bring it to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.

Now find a mixing bowl that will fit over the top of the pan, but not sink all the way in. (A poor-man’s double boiler!)

Now we need five egg yolks. Here’s how I do it: crack an egg into a small bowl. With very, very clean hands, reach into the bowl and get the yolk, letting it rest on your fingers.

Let it sit there for a second until all the whites fall back into the bowl.

Now slide the yolk right into the mixing bowl.

Repeat four more times until you have five yolks. Yes, I broke one. Wanna make something of it? The world is an imperfect place.

To the bowl, add 1/4 cup sugar…

…And whisk together until pale yellow. Here’s what it looked like when I first started whisking it.

If you whisk briskly, it should take about three minutes. The mixture should be pale yellow and thick.

Now take Marsala wine, or you can use brandy if you prefer.

Measure 1/2 cup Marsala.

Now place the mixing bowl onto the simmering water…

And add the Marsala wine gradually…

…Whisking constantly as you add.

Now cook over the simmering water, scraping the sides and bottom occasionally.

Within five minutes, it should look like this.

Now, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes, or until cool.

In the meantime, open 2 packages (1 pound total) softened (room temperature) mascarpone cheese. I think a substitution for mascarpone is cream cheese with a little sour cream added, but I really don’t know what I’m talking about.

Dump it into a bowl…

And stir it a few times to get it soft and smooth.

Now take whipping (heavy) cream…

And measure 1 cup.

Now add 4 tablespoons sugar…

…And pour into mixing bowl.

Whip until soft peaks form.

Now, to the bowl of whipped cream, add the softened mascarpone cheese…

And the chilled zabaglione you made earlier.

Now fold mixture together gently.

You definitely don’t want to beat the heck out of it.

When folded together, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.

Now measure 1 1/2 cups brewed espresso or VERY strong coffee. (Pay no attention to the fact that I inadvertently measured only 1 cup. The world is an imperfect place.) (Have I said that before?)

To the coffee, add 1/4 cup Marsala.

And 1 tablespoon vanilla.

Now unwrap the savoiardi, or ladyfingers. See how delightfully light and crispy they are?

Arrange them in a single layer in a 9 x 13 pan.

Now take the coffee mixture and spoon 1/2 to 1 tablespoon over each ladyfinger. They’re very absorbent; you want them just moistened, not soaked.

Just keep it under 1 tablespoon per cookie and you’ll be fine.

Now plop 1/3 of the cold cream/mascarpone/zabaglione mixture on top.

And spread it into a layer.

Next, sprinkle a thin layer of cocoa powder.

Now repeat the process two more times! Think lasagna. But with no tomatoes. Or noodles. Or salt. Or meat.

Do a layer of cookies…

Spoon coffee mixture over each cookie…

Spread another 1/3 of the cheese mixture and sprinkle with cocoa.

And ONE MORE TIME! A layer of savoiardi…

Spoon the coffee…

Plop the final layer of cheese on top…

Spread it thin…(And while we’re here, notice the small lumps in the cream/cheese mixture? I’ve never made tiramisu without lumps, because to achieve that you’d have to really beat the heck out of the mixture. I think that ruins the integrity of the dish, as the small lumps actually make it a little more rustic and very un-Cool-Whip-like. Not that there’s anything wrong with frozen dairy topping, but it has no place in Tiramisu.)

Now sprinkle with cocoa, and you’re finished!

Oh, baby.

Oh, BABY.

Now just cover and refrigerate for a few hours before serving. This allows for more moisture to soften the cookies and the whole mixture to meld together. Note: Tiramisu does not last beyond 24 to 36 hours, as everything eventually starts to break down and become soupy. So MANGIA! MANGIA!

To serve, spoon out helpings onto individual plates. Or do what I do and just stick a fork in the dish. Lord knows you’ve earned it!