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Individual Tiramisus

Photo: Jim Henkens

BY Mark Bittman

PUBLISHED October 5, 2024

Assembled right in serving bowls, with minimal shortcuts, this is a lightning-fast spin on the traditional Italian dessert. If you don’t have a handheld electric mixer — or don’t feel like messing with it — you can whisk the small amount of whipped cream with a whisk. (Or use pre-whipped cream from a can; about 1 cup will do it.) You can make the coffee and cream topping up to an hour before assembling; refrigerate in airtight containers.

 

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Individual Tiramisus

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Makes 2 servings 1x

Time 20 minutes

Be sure to check out the shortcake-ish strawberry variation.

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • Instant coffee or espresso powder (decaf is fine)
  • 1/2 cup boiling water
  • 6 large or 8 small ladyfingers
  • 1/2 cup cream
  • 1/ cup mascarpone cheese
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • Cocoa powder for dusting

Instructions

  1. Get two bowls handy to assemble the tiramisu; they should be big enough to hold the ladyfingers comfortably. Brew 1/2 cup instant coffee or espresso with the boiling water, using enough powder so it’s a little bit stronger than you’d drink it. Divide the coffee between the bowls. Add the ladyfingers and carefully roll so that they soak up the coffee.
  2. Use an electric mixer (or balloon whisk) to beat the cream in a medium bowl until it holds soft peaks.
  3. Combine the mascarpone and powdered sugar in a separate small bowl with a soft spatula until it’s smooth. Gently fold the mascarpone mixture into the whipped cream; spread it on top of the soaked ladyfingers. Put a little cocoa powder in a tea strainer, shake to dust the tops of the tiramisus, and serve right away.

— Recipe adapted from How to Cook Everything Fast

Recipe variations

Variation:

For Balsamic-Strawberry Tiramisus, omit the cocoa. Hull and slice 1 cup of strawberries, put them in a small bowl, drizzle them with 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar and stir; let them sit while you make the puddings. Instead of the coffee, mix 1/4 cup strawberry preserves with 1/2 cup water; use this for soaking the ladyfingers. Top each tiramisu with a spoonful of the balsamic strawberries.

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