Tito's Tiramisù
The recipe that changed my mind
Admittedly, tiramisù has never been my favorite dessert, but this is the version that finally changed my mind.
While I’ve had a few excellent tiramisù in my life, creamy, flavorful, yet somehow light and airy, I’ve encountered far too many mediocre ones to trust ordering it off most menus. I often find it cloying, goopy, and overly heavy, not exactly how I want to end a meal.
Coffee guru James Hoffmann said it best during his incredibly deep dive into the dish over a four-episode YouTube series.
“How did we convince everyone this was such a good idea? Who said at the end of your meal what you need is some coffee, raw egg yolks, cheese, biscuits, and a little cocoa powder? But somehow it worked. And somehow this recipe spread virally all over the world.”
My son adores the stuff and has never met a tiramisù he didn’t love. Attilio (or “Tito,” as we call him) orders it every time it’s on the menu, and audibly growls with joy at each spoonful. So, when his birthday rolled around this year, I decided to tweak and perfect my tiramisù recipe into a version that I would love too.
The secret, for me, is egg whites. Many recipes call for whipped cream to fluff up the mascarpone, but I find egg whites give it a lighter, airier texture and a cleaner finish. I also reduce the sugar so the coffee flavor can shine. I use pasteurized egg yolks and whites because I just don’t want to take the risk, but you can certainly use fresh eggs if you prefer.
Part of the appeal of this dish is how easy it is to assemble. There’s no baking required, and it’s a fun project with kids. Tito helped me make it on his birthday, because I felt the biggest gift I could give him was teaching him how to make his favorite dessert in the world. After he blew out the candles and we all dug in, he told me (between growls) that it was the best tiramisù he had ever tasted. I didn’t argue.
This is the tiramisù that finally won me over. I hope it does the same for you.
