Cocoa Cream Tiramisu & California Dessert Wine

Serves 12

Active Time: 1 hr 20 min

In-Active Time: 6 hours

Pairing: California Dessert Wine

Creating these as individual portions makes serving classic Italian dessert a breeze. We dipped the ladyfingers in Kahlua rather than the traditional dark rum for a little more richness and another layer of flavor, and topped it with cocoa whipped cream to make this really over the top. Serving in small glass cups allows the beauty of this layered dish to be seen. Preparing these a day ahead gives the ladyfingers time to soften and absorb all the coffee and Kahlua flavors, and takes one thing off your plate for your day-of entertaining to-do list!

Our California Dessert Wine accompanies this dish adding richness to the coffee notes. The sweetness in the wine adds structure to the cocoa cream further adding complexity to the layers of the dish.

Mascarpone Custard 

Ingredients

• 8 egg yolks
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 ½ cups heavy cream
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 2 cups mascarpone cheese, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

Instructions

1. Combine egg yolks and ½ cup granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until the mixture is pale yellow and falls from the whisk in a ribbon. Meanwhile, fill a small pot with about 2” of water and set over medium heat, and bring to a simmer. 
2. Transfer the mixture to a glass bowl and set over the pot of over medium heat and continually whisk until the mixture reaches 160°F. It’s important that the simmering water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Remove from the heat and transfer to a separate large bowl to let cool down.
3. Add heavy cream to a clean bowl of the electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Add ½ cup powdered sugar, and then slowly add in the mascarpone cheese in ½ cup increments and mix until incorporated. 
4. Add the mascarpone whipped cream mixture into the egg mixture in small ½ cup increments. Gently fold together with a silicone spatula until combined before adding more of the mascarpone whipped cream mixture. Next add the vanilla extract & vanilla bean paste and stir until combined.

Ladyfinger Prep + Tiramisu Assembly

Ingredients

• 36 ladyfingers, broken in half (6 halves per tiramisu)
• 2 cups espresso or very strong coffee 
• ½ cup kahlua

Instructions

1. Combine the espresso and Kahlua in a bowl. Dip the ladyfingers into the liquid, and then place 3 ladyfinger halves at the bottom of each serving cup. Any ramekin sized cup about 3 inches in diameter and 2-3 inches tall will work. Next layer in about ⅓ cup of the custard into each cup. Repeat each of those steps again once, leaving about ½ inch of an empty gap at the top. Cover the cups with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 6 hours, or overnight.

Cocoa Whipped Cream Topping

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream
• ⅓ cup powdered sugar (plus extra for garnish)
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder 

Instructions

1. Add heavy cream to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and whip until soft peaks form. Slowly add in powdered sugar and then cocoa powder until combined. Dollop each tiramisu with about 3 tablespoons of the cocoa whipped cream on top of each mixture, or flatten smooth for a more refined look. Place each on a small plate or saucer, and garnish by dusting each with powdered sugar.

Test Kitchen Tip: No joke, make extra. This dessert is so good that our team is always hunting for leftovers in the fridge. Delicious!