Barely Lift a Lady Finger

With Pertutti shuttered, there is a strange absence of tiramisu in Morningside Heights. But for those who need to get their regular fix of Italy’s crowned dessert, there’s no need to go further than your own kitchen.

Tiramisu is deceptively simple to make—it’s a no-bake dessert, so you don’t even need an oven. Plus, the ingredients are fairly inexpensive and easily accessible at Milano Market.

Begin by separating 7 egg yolks and beating them with 1⁄2 cup sugar in a bowl set over simmering water, either by hand or with an electric handheld mixer. Save whites for egg-white omelets or meringues!

Add 1/3 cup Marsala wine to your egg mixture, and continue to mix. The mixture will begin to grow, but stop mixing when it has doubled in volume. Some engineers might find this part strangely fascinating.

What you now have is called a zabaglione. It’s really important to let the zabaglione cool completely in the fridge. Once it’s cooled, fold in one 8-oz. container of mascarpone cheese—if you don’t let the zabaglione cool completely, your mixture will become grainy, mealy, and highly unappetizing.

Add 1 cup of homemade, unsweetened whipped cream, whipped to soft peaks. Avoid using store-bought cream, as it’s sweetened. If you don’t have a mixer, simply cool a metal bowl and whisk the cream by hand. It’s not difficult, and the result is infinitely more delicious.

At this point, your tiramisu is halfway done. Put your cream in the fridge and combine 2 cups of strong coffee, 1⁄4 cup of rum, 1 tsp. vanilla, and 2 tbsp. of Marsala wine in a saucepan over medium heat. Add chocolate to taste—most recipes call for just one ounce, but there’s never harm in adding a bit more.

Let your coffee mixture cool while you get your pan ready. A 9x13 pan works well, and Pyrex or glass will showcase the dessert best. Now it’s time to assemble your tiramisu.

Quickly dunk each lady finger in your coffee mixture and begin to form an even layer of cookies at the bottom of the pan. Once you have your bottom layer, spread half of the mascarpone mixture over the lady fingers. Add another layer of coffee-soaked lady fingers, and spread the rest of the mascarpone over them.

Finish off the dessert by sprinkling it with some cocoa powder. If you’re on a budget, feel free to use hot chocolate mix, which is essentially cocoa powder in a more accessible form. Your masterpiece is finished—buon appetito!