I have to say, this is the best Tiramisu I’ve ever tried. It’s so light and the flavor is so delicate. I’ve tasted plenty of Tiramisu desserts at restaurants, but nothing compares to this one. I received it from a family friend a long time ago and tweaked it a bit. Try it out and you’ll see. Your guests will be so impressed! I recommend waiting a day before you dig in because the lady fingers need to soften and soak up all the delicious flavor from the coffee, liqueur, and filling. I’ve made two in the last week for my family…this one’s a winner!

Tiramisu (serves 16)

Ingredients:

• 2 17.5 oz packages Lady Fingers (I used Bonomi)
• 14 tablespoons sugar
• 5 egg yolks
• 3 egg whites
• 2 packages of Philadelphia cream cheese softened
• 16 oz carton heavy whipping cream
• 8 oz strong coffee (I used 2 Nespresso long espresso shots)
• 1 tablespoon rum liqueur (I used Vana Tallinn Estonian Liqueur)
• Cocoa powder
• 1 vanilla sugar packet

Directions:

1. Brew your coffee and add 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 tablespoon of rum liqueur. Set aside.
2. Place whipping cream in a bowl and whip until it forms stiff peaks. Slowly add your vanilla sugar or add vanilla extract and sugar to your liking. Cover and set aside in the refrigerator.
3. For the filling: In a mixing bowl, beat together 5 egg yolks with 10 tablespoons of sugar until mixture is white and fluffy. Add the cream cheese, one at a time and beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Set aside. In another mixing bowl, beat the 3 egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. Slowly add 3 tablespoons sugar. Fold this mixture into the above cream cheese mixture. (Folding the egg whites in will keep the composition light and fluffy!)
4. In a 9 x 13 in. dish, lay down lady fingers with the sugar side up. Poke holes in the lady fingers using a toothpick. Take about 1 teaspoon of the coffee and liqueur mixture and spoon over each lady finger making sure each one is coated. Pour half of the filling over the lady fingers and using a spatula make sure the mixture covers all of the lady fingers. Place another layer of lady fingers over the filling. I would recommend changing the direction of the middle layer to make cutting easier. Once again, poke holes into the lady fingers and spoon coffee mixture over them. Spoon the rest of the filling over the lady fingers. Finally, lay your last layer of lady fingers and place them in the direction of the bottom layer. Poke holes and spoon coffee over them. Finally, add the whip cream mixture on top and dust with cocoa powder!