(Based on cooking classes taken from Desanka Giampaolo at her cafe at 1165 S. 9th St., Philadelphia, PA 19147. She gives month-long cooking classes and can be reached at 215 551 9205.)
Makes one 9x13 pan.
Ingredients:
Espresso (2 grandes or 6 shots)
Savoiardi (or Lady Fingers)
3 eggs (separated)
5 Tbs. sugar
1/2 cup rum (more or less)
17.5 oz (500 g) Mascarpone cheese (Desanka recommended Galbani brand)
Hershey's Cocoa
First, figure out how many lady fingers you will need to make two layers in the pan you are using. Cut the lady fingers with a serrated knife to fit them neatly into the pan. Set aside.
Add 2 Tbs. of sugar to the espresso, and then add rum to taste. (The half-cup suggested above will make a strong tiramisu.) Stir. The espresso I was using was still hot, so I added about 6 ice cubes. I also added a third of a cup of water to water down the liquid a bit since the espresso tasted too strong to me.
When the espresso is cool, dip the first layer of lady fingers in, one at a time, and lay them flat in the pan, forming a full layer. Desanka submerged each lady finger for 4 seconds. I ended up feeling like the lady fingers I was using were getting too soaked, so I dipped them in for less time. You don't want them to be completely soggy. I also got nervous when I saw how quickly I was using up the espresso mix, so cut back on the dunking time.
Add 3 Tbs. of sugar to the egg yolks and beat with a hand mixer until a very pale yellow.
Stir up the Mascarpone by hand a bit in its container, and then add it to the egg yolks. Fold it in SLOWLY.
Beat the egg whites with a hand mixer until they are very stiff. Fold these into the Mascarpone, also SLOWLY.
Smooth one layer on top of the first layer of lady fingers.
Dip the next layer of lady fingers, one by one, and lay them on top of the first layer of Mascarpone.
Then smooth the remaining Mascarpone over the top of the second layer of lady fingers.
Finish by sprinkling cocoa over the top. (I rubbed it around the inside of a strainer with a spoon so that it fell evenly on top of the dessert.)
Notes:
I used up ALL of the Mascarpone/egg/sugar mix. There was just enough. I also used up all of the espresso mix, so I was glad afterwards I had watered it down a bit. I used almost all (four-fifths) of a 17.6 oz (500 g) package of lady fingers.
To find Mascarpone and lady fingers, look in Italian food shops or cheese shops. I believe the Tiramisu home page also lists places (including some supermarket chains) in the US that sell Mascarpone. The homepage also lists other recipes, and alternative ingredients.
Mascarpone is expensive. The container I bought was almost $10, and I used it all in this recipe. Luckily, the rest of the ingredients aren't too bad.