The Grand Tiramisu
I am a relative simpleton when it comes to dessert - I don’t care for overly fussy puddings and especially if I’m the one making it, I want the process to be easy and with as few steps as possible. Tiramisu ticks all of those boxes for me - yes there’s a couple of steps in making the cream mixture but I find it’s still quick to make and you can set it and forget it in the fridge until you need to serve - an excellent, make ahead of time type situation. Plus the flavour combo of that mascarpone cream, coffee and chocolate? You’ve got to be kidding if you tell me you don’t love it.
Assembling this beast of a tiramisu in a trifle dish is not only perfect for feeding a large crowd (so many serves, so many possibilities!!), but if you do have a clear trifle dish, the layers looks pretty spectacular - if I may say so. The most important thing to note is to allow enough time for the tiramisu to set before serving, to ensure the best result.
The Grand Tiramisu (multi-layer!)
Makes one trifle dish - enough for a big crowd!
Ingredients
6 eggs, separated
150g caster sugar
2 tbsp Marsala wine (optional)
750g mascarpone cheese
300g Savoiardi (Ladyfinger) biscuits
1 cup brewed espresso
Cocoa powder, to dust the layers!
You will also need a deep dish, like a trifle dish that I’ve used for this recipe. If you don’t have one, you can simply scale the recipe as needed, or split between two more shallow dishes.
Method
Whisk the egg whites until stiff and set aside.
Whisk the egg yolks and sugar (with the Marsala if using) for a few minutes until pale, voluminous and fluffy - this is what we can zabaglione!
Switch from a whisk attachment to a paddle mixer, and beat in the mascarpone until nicely combined.
Finally, fold in the egg whites in a couple of batches.
Place into a piping bag ready to assemble and store in the fridge until ready to use.
Quickly dip a Savoiardi biscuit in the brewed espresso (you don’t need to do this for very long as you don’t want the biscuits to become overly soaked - results in a gross and watery texture later on!) and place at the base of your dish. Repeat with biscuits until you have a complete layer.
Spread over an even layer about 2cm thick of the mascarpone cream then dust with cocoa powder.
Repeat until you reach the top of your dish (I ended up with 5 layers of biscuits) - finishing with a layer of cream and a generous dusting of cocoa powder.
You do really need to refrigerate for at least a 3-4 hours before serving to ensure the cream has a chance to set and you get that beautiful, mousse-like finished texture.
