Many moons ago I purchased a copy of Niki Segnit’s The Flavour Thesaurus (iconic book) and remember reading about coffee and orange as a pairing. If you haven’t tried it, you must. And if you are going to, might I suggest you do so in the form of this panettone tiramisu?

As soon as I get the feeling that the Christmas period has begun, I start craving all of the quintessentially Christmassy foods, and one of those is panettone. When they hit the shelves at the shops let me tell you, I am buying one, two, three etc. Eating panettone around this time of year makes me feel SO festive. Last year I had an abundance of leftover panettone, and decided to turn it into a sweet dessert by combining it with one of my favourites: tiramisu.

Honestly, this couldn’t be easier to make – once you’ve made the cream component all that’s left to do is put it all together. It’s a quick and simple way of creating a beautiful dessert using leftovers and a handful of other ingredients (namely eggs, sugar, mascarpone and coffee!). Not to mention, it is SO delicious. If you’re dubious about the coffee/orange combo, hopefully this dessert will convince you!

Ingredients

4 eggs separated
100 g caster sugar
1 tbsp Marsala wine optional
500 g mascarpone cheese
1 small cup brewed espresso
Cocoa powder to dust the finished puds

Instructions

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.
Start by placing a round of panettone at the bottom of your chosen vessel. Drizzle over 1-2 tbsp coffee (it’s important not to soak the panettone like you would a savoiardi, because it will basically disintegrate – trust me, I failed so you don’t have to!).
Pipe a layer of cream and repeat with another slice of panettone, coffee and cream.
Finish with a dusting of cocoa and importantly – refrigerate for at least a couple of hours before serving.