The best almond tiramisu

This is essentially a tiramisu packed with almond flavors with the crushed almonds and everything. It is so yummy you guys, I actually had a hard time not snacking on this whiles I prepared it. Like any no-bake dessert, the key is keeping it refrigerated for as long as possible. This allows the dessert to set properly and have the layers firmed up. This classic dessert definitely takes up most of the day but it is worth it. Save up this recipe for any special occasions like Easter or Thanksgiving.

Like cheesecake, tiramisu tastes better as time goes on. You can make this a day or two ahead of time and it will still taste amazing.

Prepping the tiramisu cream

Whip the egg yoks with the granulated sugar until you get a smooth custard texture for about 2 minutes on the stove. Then gradually add the almond milk until it combines nicely. You can use regular dairy milk too if you wish. Then turn off the stove once it starts getting really bubbly. This is your custard. Keep it refrigerated for at least 1 hour.

You will need freshly whipped cream for this recipe. I beat my cream with a bit of icing sugar and vanilla extract. Since this is an almond tiramisu you could swap the vanilla extract with almond extract. This is what you combine with the custard to get your tiramisu cream.

The ingredients of any tiramisu

Ladyfingers are the star of any tiramisu recipe, along with brewed coffee and liqueur. You want the big ladyfingers that are made by Italian brands. Some ladyfinger biscuits, like the ones I used, are soft like cake, and others are crunchier. I’ve seen a lot of people make their lady fingers from scratch so you can totally do that if you want. Brandy, dark rum, Marsala wine and coffee liqueur are the popular options for tiramisu. I used Kahlua coffee liqueur to enhance the coffee vibes. you will need to mix the liqueur and the brewed coffee-this is what you will dip your ladyfingers in. Since I used the softer, cake-like ladyfinger biscuits, I dipped it in the boozy coffee mixture for like a second. Even if you use the crunchier type, you don’t want to leave your ladyfingers soaked for too long, because it gets really soggy quickly.

Assembling the almond tiramisu

You can use either a 9 inch brownie pan or a 9×13 inch baking pan. I prefer the former because it looks taller and you can make more layers in a smaller baking pan. Place the ladyfingers in the bottom of the pan immediately after soaking it in the coffee. Spread a generous amount of the tiramisu cream over the ladyfingers and keep repeating this layer until your ladyfingers are all used up. Sprinkle a good amount of cocoa powder over the final layer of your tiramisu. If you happen to have any leftover tiramisu cream, don’t worry. Just reserve the cream and set it aside to serve with your tiramisu slices.

Almond tiramisu

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Servings: 6-8 Prep Time: 6 Hours 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 4 Minutes 4 Minutes

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

6 egg yolks, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup almond milk

1 cup chilled whipping cream

1 tablespoon icing (confectioners') sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

275g mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

1/4 cup crushed almonds

450g giant ladyfinger biscuits (Italian style)

1 cup brewed coffee, at room temperature

1/4 cup coffee liqueur  (See post above and notes)

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder to garnish

Instructions

Making the tiramisu cream

1. Mix the coffee and the liqueur in a bowl and set aside.
2. Whisk the egg yolks and granulated sugar on medium heat, gradually adding the milk. Let it cook for 3-4 minutes, turn off the heat and let it cool slightly. Refrigerate this for 1 hour.
3. Take this egg yolk mixture from the fridge and whisk in the mascarpone cheese using a hand mixer until it looks smooth. Fold in the crushed almonds with a spatula.
4. In a separate bowl, beat the cream, icing sugar and extract using a hand or stand mixer until stiff peaks form on the surface. 
5. Combine the freshly whipped cream with the egg yolk mixture from step 3 until it is one color. This is your tiramisu cream.

Assembling the tiramisu

1. Set aside 30 ladyfinger biscuits. Dip one biscuit at a time into the boozy coffee bowl for just 1-2 seconds, shaking off any excess liquid and then transferring it to a 9 inch brownie pan.
2. Line the soaked ladyfingers in a row- use as many as can fit the pan. I used 10 lady fingers per layer.
3. Top each layer of soaked ladyfingers with 1/3 of the tiramisu cream. 
4. Repeat steps 2&3 until all the ladyfingers are used up. If you have any extra tiramisu cream, save it for later in the fridge.
5. Sprinkle the top with a generous sprinkle of cocoa powder.
6. Lightly cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 6 hours to set. Overnight is even better.
7. Serve chilled always with any leftover tiramisu cream and more cocoa powder.
8. Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 2-3 days.

Notes

-A really important key to getting a smooth tiramisu cream is keeping the egg yolks and mascarpone cheese at room temperature before you begin this recipe. -Good options for the liqueur are Marsala wine, dark rum or brandy. You can leave out the alcohol but I think this is what gives tiramisu that unique aroma and taste. -You can make this a few days ahead of the day you want to serve this. Tiramisu tastes better as time goes on.