Martha Stewart’s Tiramisu Is 100% Homemade … and Surprisingly Simple to Make
Time and time again, domestic superstar Martha Stewart has delivered elegant yet surprisingly approachable recipes and tricks for organizing, cleaning, and entertaining. Case in point: Who knew upside-down pineapple cake was so … simple? So when we saw that she had shared a recipe for tiramisu on her highly watchable YouTube channel, we were all ears (and forks). What better way to start off a new year than with the ultimate, swoon-worthy Italian treat?
Tiramisu is a layered dessert made with ladyfinger cookies, mascarpone cheese, coffee, whipped cream, and — here’s the kicker — coffee-flavored liqueur. It’s no wonder the name translates to “pick me up,” as Martha explains in the video.
Martha’s version of tiramisu begins with homemade ladyfingers, which are, she says, “so much better” than store-bought. To make them, you’ll separate six eggs, and whip the yolks with sugar; once it’s light and fluffy, fold in flour. Always full of clever hacks, Martha demonstrates how to skip the rubber spatula and use your stand mixer to accomplish the job. After that, beaten egg whites are folded into the yolk-flour batter. The mixture is light and soft, and when piped onto cookie sheets and baked, results in fluffier cookies than the store-bought variety. (Word to the wise: Don’t skip the sprinkle of powdered sugar on top of the cookies before popping them in the oven.)
Baking the ladyfingers is the hardest part, so once they’ve cooled, the real fun can begin. Next up is the mascarpone. Martha instructs us to amp up the cheese with sugar and beaten egg yolks and whites (separated, once again). For a little crunch, add in crushed biscotti or amaretti cookies. Martha used a food processor to make quick work of the cookie-crumbling task.
After that, it’s time to combine freshly made and cooled espresso with coffee liqueur, then dunk each ladyfinger in it quickly — just long enough to absorb some liquid, but not so long that they fall apart. Add enough ladyfingers to cover the bottom of a casserole dish, then top them with the cookie-flecked mascarpone, and repeat the layers. Finish it up with a thick layer of whipped cream, and let it chill in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.
“If you love coffee, you’re going to love this,” says Martha, before adding that it just might be everyone’s favorite Italian dessert. And honestly, I can’t wait to put her theory to the test! You can watch the video below and get the full recipe here.