See the video for the Classic Italian Tiramisu with Frangelico HERE. I love to look back and remember the days when Tiramisu was a novelty. I’ll never forget the 1990s when Tiramisu came to life and popped everywhere. Today, you can find Tiramisu at just about every supermarket.
If you think about it, Tiramisu is just one of the many desserts and ingredients that had this trajectory and made it to fame. I remember when macaroons were a secret cookie reserved for the French, by the French, in France, and you could find nothing like it anywhere else. Add a few decades later, and now macaroons are everywhere, even at Costco. Or extra virgin olive oil. Or Dulce de Leche. Acai. Molten Chocolate Cake. Risotto. Those are other ingredients, desserts, and recipes that had a moment and are now as easy to find as bananas.
But with all the tiramisus sold worldwide, there is nothing like the homemade version. The taste of Italian mascarpone, beaten up in a zabaglione mousse, layered with ladyfinger cookies dipped in expresso coffee is more satisfying than any store-bought variety. It’s authentic Classic Italian Tiramisu with Frangelico.
I’ve been obsessed with this dessert from the first time I took a bite in my teens when I was still living in Brazil and went to an Italian restaurant in Sao Paulo called Fasano. Over the years, I have tried Tiramisu in myriad ways and gradually accumulated preferences and notes about the recipe until I developed my version. With that in mind, let’s talk about a few important details of the recipe for this Classic Italian Tiramisu with Frangelico.
About the Mascarpone:
Do not try to use other brands, such as Whole Foods of Vermont-made mascarpone. I love you, Whole Foods, but I’m sorry, your mascarpone does not compare to authentic Italian. I tried and tried. The worst thing that can happen when you‘re in the kitchen, baking in action, is if you have to leave in the middle of the recipe to go to the store and buy an ingredient because the one you purchased didn’t work. And this is precisely what happened to me when I tried using the mascarpone from Whole Foods. Save yourself from this mistake. It doesn’t work. The Whole Foods version produces a grainy mousse with a lack of tiramisu taste. There is another deli store near my house and thank goodness they had the Italian brand Polenghi. Another Italian brand I have used in the past is called Sterilgarda. Notice that the package comes with 500 g or a little more than half a pound for both of these Italian brands. Use the entire container.
About the Ladyfingers:
I am a lot less demanding about the ladyfingers than I am about the mascarpone. If you make a good expresso coffee, your ladyfingers will be ok. My favorite brand for ladyfingers is the Savoiardi, but other brands will work just as fine—including the Whole Foods brand. Yep, you got it at Whole Foods: YAY for their ladyfingers, NAY for their Mascarpone.
The Wine or Liquor:
Having a little touch of wine or liquor in your Tiramisu is essential. I have tried many different kinds in my recipe testing, and all of them have worked. I have used Marsala wine and Kalua liquor. For this version, I used Frangelico liquor, and it works so great that I will never change it again.
The cocoa powder:
A good cocoa powder is the finishing touch of your Tiramisu. You want to choose Dutch-processed cocoa powder with a deep, bright brown, almost a red color. Stay away from any grayish cocoa powder, leaning towards Nesquick chocolate powder. Make an effort to buy a high-quality brand, and you’ll be rewarded with a delicious Tiramisu. A few brands that I like are Navitas, Valrhona, and Schaffer Berger.
Che La Luna is the song I chose for this video. I love the spirit of Italian cooking, and this song captures all the funny moments that happen in the kitchen which makes life so precious. As I always do in my videos, I sing and dance in the kitchen. It’s what keeps me going. See the video for this recipe HERE. Will you join me? I will be super happy if you make this Classic Italian Tiramisu with Frangelico, but I will be delirious if you sing and dance when you make it. Send photos! Share the joy! Let’s start a movement!
See video HERE
Classic Tiramisu with Frangelico
Serves 6
Mascarpone Mousse:
6 yolks
1/3 cup (62g) sugar
1 tbsp Frangelico liquor
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
500 g Italian mascarpone (at room temperature)
½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
To Assemble the Tiramisu
25 ladyfingers (Italian brand such as Savoiardi)
2 cups of coffee (at room temperature)
½ cup cocoa powder (Valrhona, Navitas, or Schaffer Berger)
Equipment: one 7X11 ramekin
- Prepare a sabayon: place the yolks, sugar, and liquor in a bowl of an electric mixer. Have a pot of simmering water and place the bowl over it without touching it. Whisk well with a balloon whisk until the yolks are pale in color and have thickened consistency. Transfer to an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on high speed until double in volume, leaving a ribbon trail, about 5 minutes.
- Add the mascarpone to the yolk mixture and change the attachment to a paddle. Beat on medium speed until creamy and light and the mascarpone is wholly incorporated into the yolk mixture.
- Add the vanilla extract and beat. Scrape this mixture into a large bowl using a rubber spatula to scrape every bit. If you scrape really well, there is no need to wash the bowl.
- Using the same bowl, pour the heavy cream and beat with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form.
- Transfer to the mascarpone mixture and fold everything together with a rubber spatula.
- Assemble the Tiramisu: Using a baking dish about 7X11 inches, dip the ladyfingers in the coffee mixture for 2 seconds and arrange them on the bottom of the container (they don’t have to follow an exact pattern since the mousse will cover it). Plop half of the mousse on top and spread with an offset spatula. Repeat the procedure, making a second layer. Dust lightly with cocoa powder all over the mousse and clean the edges of the baking dish. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.
If you liked this recipe, you might also enjoy:
Chocolate Almond Cake Julia Child
I’m so happy that you visited today. Thanks for reading and browsing my site.
Make sure to share this story with someone who cares about this topic and spread the good things around the world!
I’d love to know what you think about this article. Please send an email.
You can buy my cookbooks on Amazon: Latin Superfoods is my latest cookbook, I’m also the author of The Brazilian Kitchen and My Rio de Janeiro: A Cookbook.
Visit my YouTube Chanel @LeticiaMoreinosSchwartz
See the video for this Classic Italian Tiramisu with Frangelico HERE and share.
The easiest and most impactful thing you can do to support is to subscribe to my newsletter and to my channel on YouTube. And of course, tell your friends about it.
I’d love to connect with you on social media:
Instagram @LeticiaMoreinosSchwartz
Twitter @ ChefLeticia
Facebook @ChefLeticiaHealthyCooking
Linked In @LeticiaMoreinosSchwartz
See you next time,
Leticia
