Strawberry Tiramisu! What can be better than a showstopping no-bake dessert, easy to prepare, bursting with strawberries, and served in individual glasses. An everlasting dessert and a cake for the soul!
Tiramisu is a delicious Italian recipe, with an emphasis on tenderness, which in translation means “pick me up” or “cheer me up”. That’s a perfect description and the only words that come in my mind are … TLC ( tender, love, care ).
I absolutely love my classic tiramisu recipe. Why? Because it’s easy to make… my kids can be involved in the process … because I don’t have to turn on the oven… because this airy dessert can impress anyone and because…it has coffee… my favourite. Some 15 years ago, when for the first time I have tried Tiramisu my brain blew up. As I remember we took three more pieces from the restaurant to-go.
Well, over the years I have tried different alternatives for the Tiramisu recipe, like eggless Tiramisu, vegetarian Tiramisu, Tiramisu without coffee (replaced with hot chocolate), and so and so far. As it often happens with popular recipes – to find an “authentic” recipe is almost impossible. You just have only to try different ones and choose your own recipe.
Today I can say that the only alternative for a classic recipe that I can admit is a fabulous fruit-based variant that generally is adapted for classic Tiramisu.
Berries in velvety mascarpone filling – a perfect combination! As we are in the period of strawberries, I will prepare this party dessert with them.
Ingredients for Strawberry Tiramisu:
The qualitative and fresh ingredients are surely the secret of the success of the Strawberry Tiramisu.
There are few ingredients that make this dessert so special:
First, of course, are ladyfingers. Try to find in your grocery store hard ladyfingers also called Savoiardi (the original Italian ladyfingers). If you will grab soft ladyfingers, they will turn to mush and will not work for this dessert.
Mascarpone – do not skip mascarpone to cream cheese, as it will change properly the taste of Tiramisu. Mascarpone has a higher fat content and a much richer and creamier taste than cream cheese. So, using cream cheese you risk getting runny cream.
Eggs – make sure you use fresh and qualitative eggs. For this recipe, during the process, we will pasteurize the egg whites and yolks, so it will be great if you will have at hand kitchen thermometer.
Strawberries – Tiramisu with berries is much more refreshing. The sour taste of the strawberries, in combination with the sweet mascarpone cream, make this dessert fantastic. Before making Strawberry Tiramisu, always taste how sweet your berries are. So you can regulate the sweetness of your cream.
Also for this recipe, I do not use coffee for soaking the Savoiardi, I just replaced it with fragrant puree from fresh strawberries and Cointreau. So, pick up a bunch of strawberries.
How to make Strawberry fragrant puree?
This strawberry puree is a completely wonderful homemade sauce. With just 3 ingredients you can make any dessert taste heavenly and look fancier. It is a perfect recipe to note in your quick and easy recipe notebook.
You can add this glossy strawberry sauce to any dessert, be it ice cream, pies, waffles, or cheesecakes.
Grab 1 lb of strawberries (washed and hulled), and puree them in a food processor. Then transfer them in a saucepan and add about 2 tbsp of sugar. Place the saucepan over medium heat. Stirring occasionally bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce will thicken. Remove the saucepan from heat and cool to room temperature. Optionally you can add 2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice or/and some fresh mint. When the strawberry puree is cooled enough add 1 shot of Cointreau. Combine them and set aside.
You can store this strawberry sauce in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
How to make Strawberry Tiramisu cream?
The key to the best Tiramisu either classic or its alternative is the cream. It gives the real taste and aspect of this dessert. It must be creamy, light, and fluffy. If done correctly you will enjoy for real transcendent desert.
Gather all the ingredients and arrange all equipment needed at hand.
Let’s start! Separate 4 eggs whites from yolks. In a mixing bowl (the one that you will use for water bath) mix yolks and ⅓ cup sugar. Place it over a saucepan of barely simmering water ( water bath) and whisk constantly with an electric mixer(blender) at low speed. Make sure the bowl over the steam, doesn’t touch the water. Mixer constantly until sugar/egg yolks mixture reaches 140 – 145 ˚F. If you do not have a kitchen thermometer, check the mixture with fingers – the mixture will feel hot to the touch and the sugar should be fully dissolved. In about 3-4 minutes the mixture will thicken, double in volume, and change color to a lighter tone. When you rich this point transfer yolk mixture in a bigger mixing bowl and set aside to cool completely.
Now pour ½ cup of sugar in a bowl with whites. Place it over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring constantly with a whisk until mixture reaches 140 – 145 ˚F. Then transfer it into your stand mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until stiff peaks form.
Meanwhile, incorporate the mascarpone into the yolks mixture and mix gently until the ingredients homogenize.
The last step is folding in whites into the mascarpone mixture. Stirring from bottom to top with a spatula, fold these two together.
How to assemble Strawberry Tiramisu?
How to assemble Strawberry Tiramisu?This suitable for any occasion dessert can be served either in a regular pan or in individual cups/glasses. Today I have decided to serve Strawberry Tiramisu in beautiful cocktail glasses. I think in transparent glasses, this dessert looks even more spectacular.
So, break into smaller pieces Savoiardi and deep them in strawberry puree. Now work fast not to mash the biscuits. Arrange along the bottom of glasses one layer of soaked Savoiardi, then sprinkle some fresh sliced strawberries. Spoon a dollop of the Mascarpone cream on top. Repeat layers. Garnish with strawberries. And voila!
Now comes the hardest part! Chill the Strawberry Tiramisu for at least 3 hours in the refrigerator and serve with pleasure!
Transcendent Strawberry Tiramisu
Equipment
- Bowl
- Whisk
- electric whisk
- stand mixer
- rubber spatula
- glasses
Ingredients
- 12 Savoiardi original Italian ladyfingers
- 16 oz mascarpone
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 lb strawberries
- 1 shot Cointreau
Instructions
- Take 1 lb of strawberries( washed and hulled), and puree them in a food processor. Then transfer them in a saucepan and add about 2 tbs of sugar. Pace the saucepan over medium heat. Stirring occasionally bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce will thicken. Remove the saucepan from heat and cool to room temperature. When the strawberry puree is cooled enough add 1 shot of Cointreau and combine.
- Separate 4 eggs whites from yolks. In a mixing bowl (the one that you will use for water bath) mix yolks and ⅓ cup sugar. Place it over a saucepan of barely simmering water ( water bath) and whisk constantly with an electric mixer(blender) at low speed. Mixer constantly until sugar/egg yolks mixture reaches 140 - 145 ˚F. In about 3-4 minutes the mixture will thicken, double in volume, and change color to a lighter tone. When you rich this point transfer yolk mixture in a bigger mixing bowl and set aside to cool completely.
- Now pour ½ cup of sugar in a bowl with whites. Place it over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring constantly with a whisk until mixture reaches 140 - 145 ˚F. Then transfer it into your stand mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until stiff peaks form.
- Incorporate the mascarpone into the yolks mixture and mix gently until the ingredients homogenize. Fold in whites into the mascarpone mixture.
- Break in smaller pieces Savoiardi, and deep them in strawberry puree. Arrange along the bottom of glasses one layer of soaked Savoiardi, then sprinkle some fresh sliced strawberries. Spoon a dollop of the Mascarpone cream on top. Repeat layers. Garnish with strawberries.
