Easy Tiramisu

Tiramisu is a very popular Italian dessert made with mascarpone cheese, liqueur and coffee.

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 500g mascarpone cheese
• 2 heaped tablespoons icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 heaped tablespoon espresso coffee
• 11/2 cups boiling water
• 3 tablespoons Tia Maria liqueur
• 1 packet savoiardi sponge fingers
• 2 tablespoons caster sugar
• chocolate, grated

Method

1. Separate the eggs. Add the mascarpone, icing sugar and vanilla extract to the yolks. Mix together until smooth.
2. Mix the espresso coffee with the boiling water and a generous amount of Tia Maria. When the coffee is fully dissolved, tip the mixture into a shallow basin and leave to cool.
3. Using clean beaters, whip the eggwhites until soft peaks form. Add the caster sugar gradually, beating until it has all dissolved.
4. Mix the eggwhites through the mascarpone by folding in one third at first, then adding the rest.
5. Spread a third of the egg and mascarpone mixture evenly over the bottom of a shallow baking dish. (Tip: don't use a metal dish, Geoff recommends a non-reactive enamel dish or a glass dish.) Take half of the savoiardi biscuits and dunk them one at a time in the coffee liqueur mixture and layer them on top of the mascarpone. Add another layer of mascarpone, another layer of dunked biscuits, then another layer of mascarpone.
6. Top with grated chocolate, and place in the fridge for five hours or overnight. (Tip: if you keep the chocolate in the freezer until you need it you'll find it's much easier to grate.)

Further information

Savoiardi biscuits and mascarpone are available at supermarkets.

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