Chocolate-Chip Tiramisu

Do you know how hard my life is? I have to reach past the tiramisu every time I go to the refrigerator for milk, or eggs, or yoghurt, or cheese. The time it takes for it to set feels like eons. The smell of coffee and hazelnut liqueur lingers in the air long after it's made and way before it's ready to eat. The bowls I used to make it have been licked clean, washed and put away hours before I can slice it. It's hard I tell you, harrrrrd!


Chocolate-Chip Tiramisu
From Valli Little's Delicious: Simply the Best
Serves  8-10

6 eggs, separated
400g caster sugar
1kg mascarpone
200g dark chocolate
200ml strong espresso coffee
185g brown sugar
200ml Frangelico
2 tablespoons cocoa
36 sponge finger biscuits (savoiardi)

Place the egg yolks and 200g caster sugar in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water (don't let the bowl touch the water). Whisk until thick and pale, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Gradually beat the mascarpone into the cooled egg yolk mixture until smooth and well combined. Finely chop 150g of the chocolate and fold into the mascarpone mixture. Set aside.

In a clean, dry bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 200g sugar, whisking until stiff and glossy, then fold into the mascarpone mixture.

Combine the espresso, brown sugar, Frangelico and cocoa in a saucepan. Stir over low heat until the sugar has dissolved, then remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Dip 12 sponge fingers into the espresso mixture, then arrange in a 20cm square loose-bottomed cake pan, cutting the sponge fingers to fit if required. Spread with one-third of the mascarpone mixture. Repeat the layers twice more, alternating the direction of the sponge layers - this will help keep the tiramisu stable. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

To serve, shave the remaining 50g of chocolate into shards using a vegetable peeler and scatter over the tiramisu and cut into slices.