Espresso Salted Caramel Tiramisu
Espresso Salted Caramel Tiramisu is so surprisingly easy that it’s sure to be your new go-to treat. It’s a no-bake dessert that only requires a little time to allow ladyfingers to soak and the final product to set up in the refrigerator. It’s not too sweet, it’s got great texture, and each bite offers a complex balance of playful spices that range from bitter to bright with notes of burnt sugar. And, it is eggless. Traditional tiramisus will often whip raw egg yolk into the mascarpone mixture for added body. We skipped that and just used heavy whipping cream, which provided more than enough body for this dessert.
The final product offers light and creamy whipped cheese that stands in bold contrast with the deep, bitter flavors found in the ladyfingers, soaked in seasoned espresso. And a lot of times you’ll find alcohol in the tiramisu; if this appeals to you, we’d recommend adding some dark rum, coffee flavored, or hazelnut liqueur to the espresso mixture. Top with more Espresso Salted Caramel mixed with cocoa powder for an elegant finish.
1 1/2 cups hot water
1/4 cup Espresso Salted Caramel Spice, plus more for dusting
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup Turbinado Sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounce container mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1-2 packages lady fingers; you’ll need 20-25 for the tiramisu, so check your package for quantity
1 Tablespoon Organic Cacao Powder, for dusting
1. Boil hot water. Measure out 1 1/2 cups into a heat-proof container and stir in Espresso Salted Caramel Spice. Set aside to let cool.
2. Add heavy whipping cream to the bowl of a stand mixer or a large metal bowl. Turn your stand mixer to slow and beat in Turbinado Sugar and vanilla extract. Increase speed to medium and whip to stiff peaks. Alternatively, whip with a hand mixer in the large metal bowl to stiff peaks.
3. Remove bowl from mixer. Fold mascarpone cheese into the whipped cream until fully combined. Set aside.
4. When coffee is cool, pour it into a shallow bowl, and place an 8x8 baking dish next to it. Stir the alcohol of your choice into the espresso, if you choose. Take ladyfingers and place them in the coffee mixture. Don’t leave them in the coffee too long; you want them to have a little time to absorb the coffee, but you don’t want them to be completely soaked and soft. Remove from espresso and lay ladyfingers in a line along the bottom of the baking dish. You can break some of the ladyfingers as necessary to fill the dish. Only soak as many ladyfingers as you need to complete one layer of tiramisu.
5. Take half of the whipped cream-mascarpone mix and gently spread it out on top of the layer of ladyfingers.
6. Soak enough ladyfingers to make a second layer of cookies, and then lay them on top of the whipped cream-mascarpone mixture. Discard any remaining soaking liquid.
7. Top the second layer of cookies with the remaining half of the whipped cream-mascarpone mix. Smooth out the surface. Then put 1 Tablespoon each of Espresso Salted Caramel Spice and Organic Cacao Powder into a small bowl. Stir to combine, then put into a mesh strainer and generously dust the top of the tiramisu.
8. Place tiramisu in the refrigerator. Allow it to set for at least 3-4 hours, or up to overnight.
