Tiramisu

A most requested recipe that will drive the most dubious to the most “Romantic”.  I’ve even had non-coffee drinkers totally embrace this dessert and WILL NOT pass on this Tiramisu.  To optimize the flavors of Tiramisu it is best that it is prepared 24 hours in advance.

Ingredients

Begin with a cookie sheet and a 9×13 size pan.
36 salviardi or Lady Finger cookies.
1 1/4 cup espresso coffee (When preparing coffee, use 1/2 c. ground turkish cut coffee grounds to 1 1/3 c. water.)
1/4 Marsala (secco) /Rum Liquer
4 Medium eggs room temperature.
3/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
Mascarpone 750 grams (When removing seal from Mascarpone container there should be a thin layer of fluid on top of Mascarpone. If there is not ADD 1 more egg for a total of 5 Medium eggs.)
Whipping Cream (Optional)
Bitter Chocolate Powdered

On a cookies sheet place the salviardi cookies.
Make coffee. Add rum and coffee together and drizzle liquid all over the cookies.

Using two mixing bowls, open raw eggs and seperate yolk from egg white placing each into it’s own bowl.
Beat egg whites for about two minutes.  (May add a pinch of salt or a pinch of cream of tarter before beting egg whites in order  to stiffen egg white peaks.)
Beat egg yolks and sugar together for about 5 minutes until egg yolks are a light colored yellow.  Next, add mascarpone and beat into egg yolk mixture.

Gently fold egg whites into egg/mascarpone mixture, until no egg white is showing.  Using a half circular motion, place  spatula at bottom of bowl gently bring mascarpone to top of egg white, allowing for mascarpone  to lightly fall onto beaten egg whites.

Take pre-soaked cookies and layer the bottom of the 9×13 pan.  Then add a layer of mascarpone mixture.  Add another layer of pre-soaked cookies.  Spread on a second layer of mascarpone mixture.  Gently layer with whip cream.  With a sieve over the cookie sheet add powdered chocolate to sieve.  Tap seive over Tiramisu so that the powdered chocolate completely covers whip cream.

Place Tiramisu in refrigerator and allow to cure for 12-24 hours. Or place into Freezer for 3 hours and allow to thaw on counter top for 1 hour before serving.

Cut into squares and serve on dessert plate .
May decorate with shavings of white or Dark chocolate; or a chocolate covered coffee bean on top; or mint leaves and raspberries on the side.