Strawberry season in the Pacific Northwest is here! Fresh strawberries and cream are classic, and this tiramisu perfectly combines the two in a no-bake dessert.
A note about ingredients: unlike classic Tiramisu, here, the Lady Fingers are dipped into juice (instead of espresso). I used an orange/peach/mango-juice, but a wide variety of juices would taste wonderful here, from regular OJ to passionfruit or pineapple juice (a little acidity is what we’re looking for). For the Lady Fingers, I prefer using Italian brands as they tend to be lighter - I found mine at my local grocery store, and you can also find them at Italian markets. For the strawberries, fresh, sweet, smaller-sized strawberries work best for this recipe.
STRAWBERRY TIRAMISU
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
1½ quarts (6 cups) fresh strawberries, hulled (divided)
⅓ cup sugar, plus ¼ cup (divided)
1 Tablespoon Chambord, or fruit liqueur (optional)
3 large egg yolks
16 oz. (1 lb) mascarpone
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
Pinch of salt
2 packs (28 oz) Italian Lady Fingers
2 cups juice (Orange/Mango/Peach, or any good orange juice), or as needed
Directions:
Wash your strawberries, remove their green tops (hull), and allow them to fully dry on a clean kitchen towel before using. Slice 1 quart (4 cups) of the strawberries, and top them with 2-3 Tablespoons sugar (if your strawberries are very sweet you may need less sugar); reserve the remaining strawberries for the top of the tiramisu. Add a Tablespoon of Chambord, or you can substitute the liqueur with 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Stir and allow the berries to sit (macerate) while you prepare the cream filling.
In a double boiler, or in a heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water, continuously whisk together the egg yolks and ⅓ cup of sugar over a low simmer for 5 minutes; the mixture will double in volume and turn pale yellow, and the sugar will fully dissolve. (This will kill any bacteria in the egg yolks.) Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool for a few minutes, whisking occasionally as it cools.
Once cool, add the mascarpone and heavy cream to the yolk mixture. Using a handheld mixer or a whisk, whip until the mixture thickens and forms soft peaks. Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt, and mix until incorporated; be careful not to over-beat the cream.
Pour the juice into a bowl that is big enough that the Lady Fingers can be fully submerged in the liquid.
To assemble:
You will need a 9 x 13 deep cake pan baking/casserole dish for this recipe.
Dip each Lady Finger in the juice for 3-4 seconds, and layer the bottom of the dish with the cookies.
Add half of the cream mixture to the bottom layer of Lady Fingers, spread it out into an even layer. Add the 4 cups of the macerated strawberries in an even layer on top of the cream mixture. Add a second layer of Lady Fingers dipped in the juice, and then top with the remaining half of the cream mixture, spread evenly over the top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
Before serving, slice the remaining strawberries and toss them with a Tablespoon of sugar. Top the tiramisu with the freshly sliced strawberries.
Tiramisu will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge, but it is best on the first day.
