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Limoncello Tiramisu

Assembled limoncello tiramisu in a white dish.
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5 from 2 reviews

Limoncello tiramisu (tiramisù al limoncello) is an easy no-bake Italian dessert. Crisp ladyfingers are soaked in a bright limoncello syrup and layered with a mascarpone cream made from pasteurized egg yolks and whipped cream. The result is a creamy, citrusy make-ahead dessert that is perfect for summer.

Ingredients

Scale

For tiramisu cream:

  • 1/3 cup (75 g) egg yolks (see note #1)
  • 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (43 g) water
  • 11 oz. (315 g) mascarpone cheese, cold
  • 1 cup + 4 teaspoons (250 g) whipping cream, cold

For limoncello syrup:

  • 1 cup (235 ml) water
  • 5 tablespoons (75 ml) limoncello
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup (60 g) granulated sugar

For decoration:

  • lemon zest

Instructions

  1. To make limoncello syrup, bring water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan and simmer over low heat for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the limoncello liqueur and lemon juice, let the syrup cool, and refrigerate. The syrup must be cold from the fridge for ladyfingers to absorb the right amount of liquid.
  2. To make the tiramisu cream, whip the whipping cream with an electric mixer until firm peaks form in a separate bowl (use a stand mixer if available). Start on low speed and increase speed while whisking. Refrigerate whipped cream. Extra tip: The whipping cream, bowl, and mixer whisk must be cold. Place the bowl and a whisk in the freezer for a few minutes before you start.
  3. Then pasteurize egg yolks. Place egg yolks in a large mixing bowl and lightly beat them with an electric mixer. Place the water and sugar in a saucepan and heat over medium heat for a few minutes, until the sugar dissolves. The syrup must reach 250°F or 121°C (use a cooking thermometer).
  4. Once the syrup is ready, turn on the electric mixer and pour the sugar syrup into the yolks, whisking constantly at high speed. Whip the preparation for 5-6 minutes until thick and whitish. The bowl will cool down while the egg mixture expands. Extra tip: If the bowl isn't completely cold, put it in the fridge for 2-3 minutes. Add chilled mascarpone from the refrigerator to the egg and sugar mixture and whip at very low speed until creamy and homogeneous. Then gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture with slow movements from the bottom up, using a large rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Refrigerate the cream until ready to use.
  5. To assemble the tiramisu, pour the cooled syrup into a shallow plate. Dip one cookie at a time for 1 second, then turn it over and repeat on the other side. Extra tip: Don't soak cookies longer than 1 second per side; oversoaked cookies will make the dessert soggy. Arrange half the cookies in the first layer, trying to keep them in one direction and following the shape of the serving dish. Cut ladyfingers if necessary to fill gaps.
  6. Take the tiramisu cream out of the fridge and distribute half of the mascarpone mixture over the cookies. Use a spoon, a rubber spatula, or a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip. Bring the cream to the fridge while assembling the second layer of sponge fingers. Add a new layer of moistened ladyfingers to cover the entire surface of the dish. To finish the dessert, use the remaining cream from the fridge. Spread it with a spoon or spatula, or decorate the top of the tiramisu with a pastry bag and Ateco plain pastry tip 809.
  7. Cover the dish with a lid, plastic wrap, or aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours, preferably overnight. Before serving, use a zester grater to sprinkle the top of the dessert with the grated lemon zest. Next, cut the tiramisù into portions with a knife, clean the blade between cuts, and serve with a metal serving spatula.

Notes

  1. 75 g egg yolks, approximately equal to 5 raw fresh egg yolks from medium-sized chicken eggs
  2. Don't over-soak ladyfingers. A quick dip, one cookie at a time, on each side is enough.
  3. Let the egg yolk and sugar mixture cool before adding the mascarpone cheese.
  4. Use very cold whipping cream and whip it up, starting slowly and over 10 minutes.  
  5. Don't overmix the tiramisu cream. When folding in the whipped cream, mix just to combine.
  6. Let the tiramisu chill for at least 4-6 hours or overnight before serving. If you prefer to eat it immediately to enjoy the crunchiness of the ladyfingers, choose this option.
  7. Make tiramisu up to two days in advance. 

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.bakinglikeachef.com/limoncello-tiramisu/