If Tiramisu is on the menu when I go out to dinner I always try it. Some has been utterly divine. Some has been mediocre. Some has been atrocious. All of it has been Very Expensive.

I set about trying to emulate the divine variety and this is the closest I have come to it. While it is expensive to make it is delicious and still a lot cheaper than you pay at a restaurant.

This recipe is a bit time-consuming because I make zabaglione. The use of an electric cake mixer will save your arm a lot of effort. However, if you beat by hand you will burn off all the calories in advance that you are bound to eat once you try some. One small piece just isn't an option for me!

Ingredients List:
8 large eggs yolks (or 9 smaller yolks)
½ cup Caster Sugar + 2 tbsp (Caster sugar is just fine white sugar)
1½ cups Marsala Wine - Creamy
750g Mascarpone Cheese
500ml Cream
2 cups strong Espresso Coffee
3 tbsp Kahlua (or other liqueur that you like)
2 packets Savoiardi Sponge Finger Biscuits
Cocoa
Large Lasagne Dish

Note: Cups used are metric - 250ml. The tablespoon is 15ml.

Zabaglione:
Whisk the egg yolks and ½ cup caster sugar together until pale and thick.

Over simmering water in a double boiler slowly add ½ cup Marsala to the yolk/sugar mixture. Keep on stirring until it thickens like custard (this takes about 7-8 minutes). Set aside to cool and whisk it occasionally as it cools so it is thick and creamy. I have some cold water ready in the sink so I can dip the bowl in it and stop the cooking quickly once the zabaglione is ready.

Tiramisu Cream
Stir (but do not beat) the mascarpone until well blended and smooth.

Whip the cream until thick - just past the soft peak stage.

Fold together the mascarpone, whipped cream and zabaglione one at a time (for example, add zabaglione to the mascarpone, and then add the cream to that mix).

A variation on this recipe keeps each of the three ingredients above separate and layers them up individually on top of the dipped biscuits. Try it both ways!

Dipping Mixture
Mix together the coffee, 2 tbsp of caster sugar, 1 cup of Marsala wine and 3 tbsp of Kahlua. Make sure the sugar is completely dissolved.

Assembly
Dip Savoiardi sponge finger biscuits into the cooled dipping mixture until they are moist but not sodden and line the bottom of the dish with them. The time varies due to variation in the sponge fingers.

Layer half of the Tiramisu Cream over the top of the biscuits.

Repeat another layer of dipped Savoiardi biscuits and Tiramisu Cream. Bang the dish firmly to make the Tiramisu Cream settle into the gaps between the biscuits. Cover and chill overnight.

Just before serving dust liberally with cocoa. If you want to be more lavish some grated chocolate is nice too.

Click the in the window below and with a little luck you'll see a video tutorial.