Drunken Tiramisu

We've been attempting to try tiramisu for awhile now.  It is one of my favorite desserts after all.  However, John has been the master of the cheesecake.  Why ruin a good thing, right?  

Throughout our dating I've been dropping blatant hints about how he should try his hand at tiramisu.  

It finally happened this week.


And it was glorious.  And really alcoholic.  I'll explain later . . .

Instead of a nice brandy, like the recipe called for, I suggested we use the Disarrono that we had in the cabinet.  It added the necessary sweetness, but also twice as much alcohol content.  A good and a bad thing. 

The evening already involved a few alcoholic drinks: Crown and Seven, Rum and Cider, Diet Dr. Rum, and beers, to name a few...

So we may of had a slight buzz by the time we tried the cake after an hour of rest in the fridge.  A 2 x 2 inch piece may have sent my faithful assistant, Morgan, and I to the ground.  (And thanks to her for taking some of these shots.)

Two days rest in the fridge helped some of the alcohol to burn off and settle into a beautifully layered dessert.  A few more days and it won't be the drunken cake anymore.

Tiramisu di Toscana:

3         egg yolks
3 tbsp  caster sugar
1 1/3c  Vinsanto or Marsalla or Brandy (Not Disarrono!)
1/4      cooled espresso
8 oz.    Marscapone cheese
1/4c     whipping cream (We doubled this and still didn't have a lot)
1         egg white
4 oz.   Savoiardi or Lady Fingers (We actually used pre-made cookie layer sheets that we found at a European mini-market.  They worked fabulously.)

Beat 3 egg yolks and sugar on top of a double boiler until they are an ivory color (this takes some time and patience).  Add 1/3 cup of liqueur to the zabaglione (what you just made) and whisk gently.  Remove once it has thickened and let cool.

Separately, stir the espresso into the marscapone.

Whip the whipping cream into heavy peaks.

Beat the egg white until it stiffens and peaks,

Fold the egg white into the zabaglione to make an airy texture.  Dip the ladyfingers into the remaining liqueur.  Some of the remaining coffee can be added to reduce the alcohol level.

Arrange lady fingers in the bottom of the dish.  Cover them with 1/2 the marscapone mixture, 1/2 the zabaglione, and 1/2 the cream.  Repeat the layers as needed.

Refrigerate for several hours before serving.

And eat responsibly!!