Strawberry Tiramisu

There are days I have a clear vision of the recipe I’m excited to cook for the day, and there are days that it sounds like the last thing I’d like to do. This recipe is the former and does an excellent job of romancing you into heading to the grocery store and picking ingredients to make this tiramisu right away. For this recipe I experimented with taking the classic tiramisu recipe and flipping it over its head. Replaced the espresso with strawberries, and my god it was amazing.

I never met a person who doesn’t like tiramisu so I was kinda sure this would be just as good. Trusting my instinct it would work out I strapped on an apron to remind myself that I mean business, doubled the recipe because I knew no one can stop at one serving, rest assured I was right. The recipe is fairly simple to put together and I promise you’ll be rewarded with compliments.

STRAWBERRY TIRAMISU

INGREDIENTS

• 48-50 Savoiardi cookies, also called ladyfingers
• 1½ pounds fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 10 ounce jar low sugar strawberry preserve
• ½ cup Cointreau or any orange liqueur, for alcohol free option use orange juice
• ½ cup fresh orange juice
• 1 lb cream cheese or mascarpone cheese ideally, room temperature
• 1 ½ cups chilled whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons-¼ cup confectionery or powdered sugar, depending on how sweet you like it
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• a few mint leaves for color

Directions

1. Whisk strawberry preserve, Cointreau or orange liqueur and orange juice in bowl and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream and vanilla extract until soft peaks are formed, fold the confectionery sugar gently.
3. Whisk 1/4 of whipped cream mixture from step 2 into mascarpone to lighten the cheese. Fold in remaining whipped cream.
4. Hull and slice half of strawberries.
5. Spread a thin layer about 1/2 cup preserve mixture over bottom of a rectangular serving dish or glass baking dish. Mine was about 13x9x2-inch dish.
6. Arrange ladyfingers over strawberry mixture to cover bottom of dish (see images). Spoon 3/4 cup preserve mixture evenly over the ladyfingers, next spread 2 cups mascarpone mixture. Arrange ½ the sliced strawberries over mascarpone mixture.
7. Repeat the layering with remaining lady fingers, preserve mixture, and mascarpone mixture. Cover and chill for at least 8 hours or best overnight in the fridge for the cookies to absorb, soften and set.
8. Garnish with the remaining strawberries and mint leaves. Serves 10-12 slices.