Raspberry Tiramisu

I’ve always had an aversion to mushy and creamy desserts, especially anything with whipped cream. But, the first time that my mom and I traveled to Italy, we decided to share a tiramisu after dinner one evening. Neither of us had ever had it before, but we thought it would be fun to try the traditional dish in its homeland. I fully expected to take one bite and allow my mom to finish the rest, as she loves whipped cream. To my surprise, I loved it. The espresso had softened the ladyfingers, but it wasn’t mushy and the mascarpone transformed the whipped cream into a texture that I actually found irresistible. From that moment on, we were hooked. If we’re eating Italian food, you can guarantee that we will always save room to order the tiramisu! This version is one of my favorite summer desserts. Swapping out the espresso for raspberries makes this decadent dish feel lighter, and I always love highlighting an ingredient while it’s in the peak of its season. My mom loves this dish so much that she requests it every year as her birthday cake. We’ll be celebrating her birthday this month and I know everyone is looking forward to dessert.

Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

Prep Time: 20 min

Inactive Prep Time: 3 hours

Level: Easy

Serves: 8-12 servings

Ingredients

1 cup seedless raspberry jam

6 tablespoons orange liqueur like Grand Marnier (optional to substitute with orange juice or water)

1 pound mascarpone cheese at room temperature

1 cup whipping cream (I like to use 1 1/2 cups to ensure that there is plenty of the mixture)

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

28 soft ladyfingers

3 (1/2 pint) baskets fresh raspberries

Cocoa powder for dusting

Directions

Stir the jam and 4 tablespoons of the orange liqueur in a small bowl to blend. If omitting the liqueur, substitute with water or orange juice to thin out the jam.

Combine the mascarpone and remaining 2 tablespoons of orange liqueur in a large bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream, sugar, and vanilla in another large bowl until soft peaks form. Using a large rubber spatula, stir 1/4 of the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture to lighten. Carefully fold the remaining whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture.

Line the bottom of a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish or other decorative serving dish with half of the ladyfingers. Spread half of the jam mixture over the ladyfingers. Spread half of the mascarpone mixture over the jam mixture, then cover with half of the fresh raspberries. Repeat layering with the remaining ladyfingers, are mixture, mascarpone mixture and raspberries. I like to arrange the top layer of raspberries with the ends pointing upwards, making peaks across the top of the dish. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.

Dust with cocoa powder and serve.

Emily’s Notes: Grand Marnier isn’t something that I normally have on hand and so I’ve made this many times without it, especially when children are eating. If you don’t have Grand Marnier on hand and don’t want to buy a whole bottle to make the dessert, you can buy one of the small shooters at the liquor store for a couple of bucks. Another fun twist that I’ve done is to make individual servings in small Mason jars. There’s something about an individual serving that people just love.

-emily