Raspberry Tiramisu
The dessert that almost got away
This raspberry tiramisu will draw a smile in your face with its bright taste. The fresh raspberries in every bite make it sweet, fruity and citrusy at the same time. I soaked the ladyfingers in strong espresso with Chambord raspberry liquor for a subtle boozy raspberry note that makes this taste so decadent and luxurious. And the mascarpone cream is the most silky and creamy you could taste, and I tell you here how to get it like that and prevent curdling when mixing the cream up. This raspberry tiramisu is the perfect no-bake dessert for any Valentine’s celebration you have in mind!
If you have read my Classic Tiramisu with Brownie Crust, you already know that tiramisu had never been on my top list of decadent desserts. I never got the fuzz about it. But that was because the ones I had tasted, even in fancy Italian restaurants, were dry or simply meh. Tiramisu was out of my life! But that changed when I decided to decode what I didn’t like of tiramisu and went on to fix it. I used a strong espresso brew, I sweetened all the layers of the tiramisu, not just the eggs as most recipes call for, and my ratio of cream to ladyfingers is usually higher. Now I think it’s one of the best things in the world and I can’t stop eating it!
I have to admit that one of the things I love most about a good tiramisu is its richness and opulence. The feel is luxurious and decadent, exactly the traits you want in a dessert for any Valentine’s celebration. And for this time, instead of the traditional Marsala wine or Kahlua, I added black raspberry liquor to the espresso (I used Chambord liquor) and filled the tiramisu with fresh and plump raspberries. The acidic and sweet citrusy notes of raspberries put this dessert in a place near to my heart. I think making this dessert to someone you love will be a very special gift. One bite will lead to another, and that’s a very good thing!
Another great thing about this raspberry tiramisu is that it’s completely make-ahead, even two days in advance. You don’t need to turn the oven on for this one, it’s a completely no-bake dessert as well. You only need to whip up the layers and then assemble everything. Here’s a glance of how I put together this tiramisu:
How to make a Raspberry Tiramisu
The coffee: You can buy a strong espresso brew with two shots and then use water to reach one cup. If you have an espresso machine you can make it on your own like I did. Totally worth it because you will get that freshly brewed coffee taste in your dessert. You need to make it in advance and place it in the fridge because it needs to be very chilled when you are ready to soak the cookies or they will break apart immediately. To speed up the process, I placed it in the freezer and stirred occasionally to prevent ice crystals. This way it was ready in about 30 minutes.
Add the booze: After the coffee has been chilled, mix it up with the raspberry liquor and some of the sugar and keep it chilled until ready to use.
The tray: Have it near for when you’re ready to assemble. Instead of a mold or deep dish pan, I used an oval hollowed plate where the creaminess of the cream and the raspberries could be appreciated. It looked prettier and more intimate than in a dish typically used for serving a crowd.
The egg yolks: I used organic pasteurized eggs from free range raised chickens, which are totally safe to eat especially if mixed with sugar. I beat the egg yolks with some of the sugar (remember when I told you about sweetening all of the layers?!) until foamy. Then I mixed in the mascarpone cheese.
The mascarpone cheese: Talking about the cheese, it CAN’T be at room temperature. It needs to be cold for mixing with the egg yolks. This is to prevent the tiramisu egg yolk mixture from curdling. What I like to do is to take the cheese out the fridge right when I’m about to beat the egg yolks and transfer it to a bowl. I stir it with a spoon a couple of times just to make it pliable. You need to mix gently the mascarpone cheese with the egg yolks to prevent the tiramisu mascarpone cream from curdling.
The egg whites: The next thing I did was whipping the egg whites with more sugar. I rubbed a lemon on the whisk attachment and the bowl in which I was going to whip them. This helps in preventing the egg whites from getting watery and ruining the tiramisu. The acidity of the lemon helps in making the egg whites stable while growing and stable egg whites means no watery cream! You can use some regular white vinegar or sprinkle a bit of cream of tartar on the whites before whipping. After the egg whites have reached soft peaks it’s time to fold them with the egg yolk mixture.
The coffee again: When ready to assemble the tiramisu, mix the very chilled coffee with the raspberry liquor and the remanent sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Transfer to a large bowl or shallow pan for soaking the cookies.
A the end: I like to spread some cream as the first layer of the tiramisu so the ladyfingers stick to the plate. Then it’s just about layering soaked cookies, fresh raspberries and cream. I sprinkled a bit of cocoa powder on top because even if this is a fruity tiramisu, the cocoa powder balanced out so well the coffee and boozy notes present in the tiramisu. I topped everything with fresh raspberries loosely arranged as decoration.
Chillaxing time: Now it’s time to put the tiramisu to chill and you get to relax because you have made a dessert that’s super easy and still looks so stunning! You are so ready for Valentine’s!
I know you are going to love this tiramisu as much as I do. And yes, technically you can use blueberries, blackberries or chopped strawberries. But I would stick with raspberries because their color, shape and flavor profile were the touch that brought this dessert to another level. It was really delicious!!
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Raspberry Tiramisu
Ingredients
◯ Strong espresso brew, chilled - 1 ¼ cup
◯ Raspberry liquor - ⅓ cup
◯ Natural granulated sugar - ½ cup (divided in 1½ TBSP, 2 TBSP and 4½ TBSP)
◯ Organic pasteurized cage free eggs - 5, separated
◯ Half lemon or white vinegar
◯ Mascarpone cheese, chilled - 16 oz. (1 pound)
◯ Lady fingers - 22 to 25 pieces
◯ Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting - about 1 TBSP
◯ Fresh raspberries - 2 cups
Details
Yield:
a medium sized tiramisu for 6 to 10 people
Total time:
30 minutes plus chilling times
Active time:
20 minutes
Chilling time:
6 to 8 hours, preferably overnight
Equipment:
stand mixer or electric hand mixer, medium sized deep dish
Steps
Mix the chilled espresso with the ⅓ cup of the raspberry liquor and 1½ tablespoons of the sugar. Place in the fridge again.
In the bowl of the stand mixer with the paddle attachment or the beaters if using an electric hand mixer, beat the egg yolks with 4½ tablespoons of the sugar on high speed (#8 in the Kitchen Aid) for 5 minutes, until a foamy, thick and pale yellow. Drop about 4 to 5 tablespoons of the egg yolk mixture into the mascarpones cheese and gently mix until it starts to come a bit runny. Transfer this mixture to the mixing bowl and in the lowest speed mix until the cheese has been well incorporated into the egg yolks, about 3 minutes.
To whip up the egg whites, rub with half of a lemon the whisk attachment and the inside of the mixing bowl. Squeeze a bit of lemon in the bowl as well. Whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. With the mixer running, gradually sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Whip until stiff peaks form, just a notch before turning into meringue. Gently fold the egg whites with the egg yolks-mascarpone mixture in three additions.
Spread some mascarpone cream on the bottom of your serving dish. Take out the espresso from the fridge and transfer into a shallow bowl. Dip one to two cookies at the same time and soak them about 10 to 15 seconds per side. Arrange on top of the cream, placing them touching on the sides, until you have covered most of the cream. Cover the cookies with about half of the mascarpone cream. Arrange fresh raspberries on top. Repeat to create a second layer, finishing up with the remaining cream.
Dust the cocoa powder on top. Finish it up with a layer of raspberries, arranged liberally. Cover loosely and chill about 6 to 8 hours, ideally overnight.
Even if the color of the cream on top changes a bit, tiramisu will be good in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
