Italian Strawberry Tiramisu with Traditional Tiramisu Substitutions
Try this Italian Tiramisu with a twist... strawberries & chocolate! This no coffee, no raw egg version is family friendly great for kiddos, pregnant women, and those who are immunocompromised. You get the traditional Savoiardi (ladyfinger) cookies and Mascarpone egg filling BUT with cooked yolks and whipped cream instead of raw whipped egg whites. The cookies are dipped in a homemade strawberry milk in place of coffee and liqueur. I also include the recipe for the traditional Italian Tiramisu with coffee & cocoa powder.
Ingredients
Strawberry Dipping Liquid OR Traditional Coffee Dipping Liquid
- 1¼ cups (300 ml) of milk OR strong coffee (like espresso or your favorite coffee)
- 3½ tbsp (50 ml) strawberry syrup (Monin, Torani, or DeVinci) OR coffee liqueur, brandy, or rum (optional)
Mascarpone Egg Custard Mixture
- 4 large egg yolks room temperature
- ½ cup superfine granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 lb Mascarpone cheese
- 1¼ cups heavy whipping cream OR the 4 egg whites from the yolks used above (you could also eliminate the cream/egg whites entirely... mixture will be thinner)
- ½ cup superfine granulated sugar
Assembly Elements
- 1 pkg/recipe Savoiardi Ladyfingers store-bought, homemade, or gluten free
- 1-2 lbs strawberries &/OR cocoa powder to dust over the cream
- 1-2 cups semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips and/or a good dark chocolate bar to grate or shave for elegance on the top
Instructions
- Prepare the strawberries by washing them and dicing them into small chunks. Set aside the prettiest 7-8 and slice them to go on top as the final decorative layer.
Strawberry Dipping Liquid Directions
- Prepare the syrup to dip the ladyfingers. Pour the strawberry syrup into the milk. Stir well and set aside in the fridge until ready to use it.
Mascarpone Egg Custard Mixture Directions
- In a double boiler or saucepan, add enough water to not evaporate while heating. Heat on medium over the stove until just before boiling. Then, turn down the heat and allow the water to simmer. It should move in the saucepan, but not boil.
- In the top of the double boiler or in a separate glass or metal bowl (one that fits into the saucepan), whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla. Leave the top bowl OFF the heat while whisking.
- Once the water is simmering, place the bowl of egg mixture or double boiler top over the simmering water. Ensure the water is not touching the bottom of the bowl. If so, pour out some of the water.
- Whisk the egg mixture continuously for 5 minutes. You’ll notice the egg mixture will thicken and turn pale like the color of the yellow cream in deviled eggs.
- Remove the egg mixture from the heat and whisk for about 1 minute or so until the mixture cools slightly.
- Then, stir in the Mascarpone cheese. The heat from the egg mixture will help smooth out the Mascarpone cheese. Set the mixture aside on the counter while you whip the cream.
- Place the cream and sugar in a stand mixer bowl with a whisk attachment and whip them together to stiff peaks. Begin on low speed and increase the speed gradually. Careful not to over whip or you’ll end up with a thick, butter consistency.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the Mascarpone egg mixture until well combined. Set aside.
Assembly Directions
- Dip the Savoiardi cookies in the milk and strawberry syrup mixture on each side. Do not allow the cookies to sit in the liquid, only dip. If the cookies absorb the liquid, then the Tiramisu will be soggy. Then, line them in a single layer (cutting them to fit the pan) an 11x8-inch glass baking dish (or 9x9-inch pan). You’ll create 2 layers.
- Spread ½ of Mascarpone Egg Custard over the cookies. Spread the cream from side-to-side and end-to-end. Add a layer of chopped strawberries and chocolate chips.
- For the final layer set, add the Savoiardi cookies, last of the Mascarpone Egg Custard, and top with SLICES of strawberries and chocolate curls (chocolate shavings). You can also just simply use chopped strawberries and chocolate chips instead of sliced strawberries and chocolate curls. The final layer of strawberries and chocolate is for aesthetic purposes.
- Allow your Tiramisu to sit for at least 3 hours in the fridge before serving. Tiramisu is best left overnight in the fridge to allow the mixture to meld, the cream to firm up, and the cookies to soften.
Video
Notes
OPTIONAL: Traditional Tiramisu with Coffee and Cocoa
-For the Strawberry Dipping Liquid, sub the milk with equal part strong coffee/espresso and sub the strawberry syrup for equal part coffee liqueur, brandy, or rum.
-Forego the strawberries and chocolate chip layer. Instead, you’ll have a layer of coffee dipped cookies, layer of Mascarpone Egg Custard topped with sifted cocoa powder and grated chocolate (or chocolate chips) and repeat. After the final layer of Mascarpone Egg Custard, cover with sifted unsweetened cocoa powder, and top with chocolate curls for decoration.
NOTES: Raw Eggs
Traditional Italian Tiramisu uses raw eggs for the entire Mascarpone Egg Custard layer. I cooked my egg yolks over simmering water on the stove. However, traditionally, they are just whisked as in the directions above (no heat). Also, instead of using heavy cream, raw egg whites are whipped with sugar (after soft peaks form) and then folded into the egg yolk/Mascarpone mixture. If you have access to PASTEURIZED eggs in your store, the FDA says you can eat those eggs raw (BUT still not recommended for young children, if you’re pregnant, or are immunocompromised). However, they are safe enough to eat raw for the average healthy population because pasteurization eliminates the greater risk of salmonella poisoning. Many stores don’t sell pasteurized eggs. However, you know if your store does, if the egg carton says “pasteurized” AND the egg shells within the carton are stamped with the letter “P”. Common shell eggs pasteurization companies are…
-Davidson’s Pasteurized Eggs (sold at some Walmart stores)
-Papettti’s
-Abbotsford Farms
If you are unable to located pasteurized eggs, I highly recommend using the Mascarpone Egg Custard in my recipe above. The egg yolks are “cooked” to eliminate any possibility of Salmonella poisoning. It’s also a food safer option to use whipped heaving whipping cream in place of raw whipped egg whites. For a thinner Mascarpone cream, you can forego the whipped cream/or whipped egg whites all together.
NOTES: Mascarpone Cheese
Mascarpone cheese is a very rich Italian cheese similar to the American cream cheese but fattier, smoother, and richer in flavor. For Italian dishes and recipes where Mascarpone cheese is used, I would not substitute, but you certainly could if you don’t have access to it.
TIPS:
-Don’t allow the cookies to sit long in the strawberry liquid or they will be too soggy… just quick dunk on both sides… done!
-Place the large bowl & whisk (used to whip up the heavy cream and sugar) in the freezer ~30 minutes before whipping the cream.
-Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites while cold (just out of the fridge), then allow the egg yolks to sit on the counter to come to room temperature ~30 minutes before whipping. Save the egg whites for another recipe.