buongiorno.

there are worse things to wake up to than tiramisu.  tiramisu means ‘pick me up’ & this morning in my house we may or may not have had leftover valentine’s day tiramisu for breakfast.  the combination of rum & espresso-dipped ladyfingers with layers of (with more rum & espresso) creamy marscapone made a not-overly-sweet start to an already sweet day.  of course, it is also perfect after dinner, but keep in mind that the tiramisu, once assembled, should be refrigerated for at least six hours & preferably overnight so you may end up having it for breakfast, too.

tiramisu (serves 8)
recipe from ina garten
6 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
1/4 C sugar
1/2 C good dark rum, divided
1 ½ C brewed espresso, divided
16 to 17 ounces mascarpone cheese
30 italian savoiardi (ladyfingers)
bittersweet chocolate, shaved or grated
confectioners’ sugar

whisk the egg yolks & sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on high speed for about 5 minutes, or until very thick & light yellow.  lower the speed to medium & add 1/4 cup rum, 1/4 cup espresso & the mascarpone. whisk until smooth.

combine the remaining 1/4 cup rum & 1 1/4 cups espresso in a shallow bowl.  dip 1 side of each ladyfinger in the espresso/rum mixture & line the bottom of a 9 by 12 by 2-inch dish.  pour half the espresso cream mixture evenly on top.  dip 1 side of the remaining ladyfingers in the espresso/rum mixture & place them in a second layer in the dish.   pour the rest of the espresso cream over the top.  smooth the top & refrigerate at least six hours or overnight.

before serving, generously sprinkle the top with shaved chocolate and dust lightly with confectioners’ sugar.