Irish Cream Tiramisu

32. Irish Cream Tiramisu
I’m giving this one a whole post to itself, so that I can share my adapted version of Nigella’s recipe and also so that I can take it to Peabody’s virtual Housewarming Party, good luck sweetie in your lovely new home =)

I like tiramisu, and testement to this is the number of recipes for it I’ve tried. My other two favourites are Delia Smith’s one in The Winter Collection with rum and a berry one in the in one of the Avoca cookbooks (which was my ‘new’ tiramisu last year) with cassis and summer fruits. Actually I must make that one again…I try a new tiramisu most years and was very much looking forward to this one, especially after hearing rave reviews from fellow Nigella-ites.

Nigella’s rich and gorgeous one has Irish cream in it, and that to me means Bailey’s Irish Cream. I don’t drink much, hardly ever in fact, but the very occasional night cap of this drink is a little treat.

I’ve altered this recipe here by halving it to start with, as I was really trying it just for us, and we probably would eat the whole lot over two or three days! So I halved it and made it in an oval pyrex dish. I’ve made the coffee less strong, because I’ve learned that is how we like it, and although I halved it I left the egg whites the same to lighten the marscapone a little more.

This is a beautiful tiramisu, and the Bailey’s Irish Cream settles into it so well; it’s as if it’s always been there. It is not a very sweet pudding this one, but oddly that seems to be in it’s favour, as it seems to lighten it somehow, and balance it at the same time. I had a little debate with myself as to if or not I’d up the sugar next time – and there will be a next time – perhaps a little, but then again perhaps not. Ah if this were the hardest decision life would be so sweet…

Also for anyone who requested the hokey pokey recipe of a couple of posts ago, I've added on the recipe.

Irish Cream Tiramisu
Adapted from Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson

175ml coffee, made with 175 ml water and 2 teaspoons instant expresso or coffee
130ml Bailey’s Cream liqueur
1 x 200g Savoiardi (Italian lady Finger Biscuits) or trifle sponge fingers
2 eggs
40g caster sugar
250g mascarpone
1 teaspoon cocoa powder, heaped

1)Mix the coffee with 90mls Bailey’s in a shallow bowl.
2)Dip half the biscuits into this liquid, until damp but not soggy. Line the bottom of your dish with them.
3)Separate the eggs, keeping the 2 yolks and then one egg white. Whisk the two egg yolks and the sugar until thick and pale yellow, then fold in the remaining 40ml of Baileys, and the mascarpone to make a moussy mixture.
4) Whisk the single egg white until thick and frothy, fold into the mascarpone mixture, and spread half of this on top of the dipped biscuits in the dish.
5) Repeat the dipping and layering with the other half of the fingers into the dish and then top with the second half of the marscapone mix.
6) Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge over night. When ready to serve use a small sieve or tea strainer to sift over the cocoa powder. Serves 6.