If carrot cake is my favourite cake of all time, then tiramisu is probably my favourite dessert. If it's on a restaurant menu I have a serious hard time saying no to pudding. It's that perfect combination of espresso-soaked savoiardi (often laced with something deliciously boozy), the decadent mascarpone and the thick layer of bitter cocoa that blankets the entire affair.
Ingredients
6 dessert glasses
Croissant sponge
100 g (4 oz) espresso
Mascarpone cream
Dutch-processed cocoa powder, for dusting
For the croissant sponge:
3 croissants
100 g (3 1/2 oz) whipping cream
100 g (3 1/2 oz) superfine sugar
For the mascarpone cream:
3 egg yolks
240 g (8 1/2 oz) superfine sugar
2 egg whites
50 g (1 3/4 oz) water
750 g (1 lb 10 oz) mascarpone
40 g (1 1/2 oz) marsala
25 g (1 oz) strega
25 g (1 oz) sambuca
For the croissant sponge:
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 160C fan (320F).
Step 2
Cut the croissants into 1 cm- (1/2 in-) thick slices and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
Step 3
Place the cream and sugar in a small saucepan over a low heat and whisk to dissolve the sugar. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from the heat immediately — you do not want it to come to the boil.
Step 4
Using a pastry brush, lightly coat each croissant slice with the warmed cream and sugar, then place the tray of slices in the oven and bake for 7-8 minutes: you are looking for it to be lightly golden, not hard and dry.
Step 5
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
For the mascarpone cream:
Step 1
Prepare a sabayon with the egg yolks and 80 g (2 3/4 oz) of the sugar: place the yolks and sugar in a small heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a pan of just-simmering water. Whisk the yolks and sugar constantly, until they are light and foamy.
Step 2
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites to soft peaks.
Step 3
Meanwhile, bring the remaining sugar and the water to the boil in a small saucepan over a medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar and create a syrup. Using a sugar thermometer, take the syrup to about 115C fan (240F). Once the syrup has reached this temperature, remove it from the heat and, in a slow and steady stream, carefully pour the sugar syrup into the whites while they are still whisking on low speed. Once all the sugar has been added, increase the speed of the mixer and whip until the bowl has cooled down to body temperature.
Step 4
Carefully transfer the meringue mixture into a clean bowl, then transfer the mascarpone into the bowl of a stand mixer. With the whisk attachment, whip the mascarpone then add the 3 different alcohols. Whisk to combine. Finally, fold in the sabayon and meringue gently by hand, to create a light mascarpone cream.
Step 5
Carefully transfer the mascarpone cream into a piping bag fitted with a Size 10 round nozzle.
For assembling:
Step 1
Dip the croissant ‘sponge’ slices in the espresso for about 30 seconds, then flip and allow the other side to soak for 30 seconds. Repeat for all slices.
Step 2
Place one soaked croissant ‘sponge’ slice in the base of each glass, taking care to keep the sides of the glass clean. Pipe a generous wiggle of mascarpone cream on the top of the croissant slice in each glass, then distribute the remaining croissant sponge slices evenly among the 6 glasses, arranging them carefully over the first layer of mascarpone cream. Pipe a final generous layer of mascarpone cream, making sure the wiggle of cream reaches the edges of the glass.
Step 3
Finally, just before serving, using a small sieve, dust the cocoa powder generously on top of the mascarpone cream.
Makes: 6
