I have to say, this is my favorite thing I’ve made this summer (so far). And I know you probably think that I’m just saying that, but seriously it’s true.
It’s a well known fact that I love chocolate hazelnut. Nutella is one of the best things ever, and when you add coffee to it? A dream. Last summer I posted these cookies with the same flavors, and they were easily my favorite last year. Looking back at that post, my style has changed so much. I mean, the writing, the recipes, and most noticeably the photos, it’s all changed and definitely for the better. It’s kinda wackadoodle that this blog is only a year and an half old, but it’s already gotten so much better. Hopefully that keeps going!
Anyway, this is really so great. I love tiramisu and adding more chocolate will always make me happy. And from a scientific perspective, chocolate has been proven to make you more happy so thats something to keep in mind. Hey it’s summer, my logic doesn’t have to make complete sense 😅.
What is Tiramisu?
I keep blabbing on and on about Tiramisu, but what even is it? Well, it’s a wonderful dessert made with lady fingers soaked in coffee, layered with a creamy mascarpone custard like filling, and topped with a dusting of cocoa powder. Traditionally, the eggs in the mascarpone filling are raw, but I’ve altered this to make a recipe with cooked eggs. We’re also adding a good amount of Nutella to the filling as well as a crunchy layer of toasted hazelnuts. And for one last punch, I add hazelnut liqueur to the coffee that we soak the lady fingers in. Decadent, creamy, and shockingly simple to make.
Describe this Tiramisu to me
Taste: We have three main flavors going on: coffee, chocolate, and hazelnut. The lady fingers are soaked in strong brewed coffee, with a little bit of hazelnut liqueur to add a boozy pop. Next is a luscious and creamy chocolate hazelnut mascarpone filling made from a buttery custard base, fluffy whipped cream, tangy mascarpone cheese, and a good amount of Nutella. Then we have an extra layer of toasty hazelnuts, before we repeat all of those layers again and top it all off with some cocoa powder. All the flavors work so well together, and every bite just melts in your mouth.
Texture: In layer number one, we have lady fingers. These start off crunchy, but quickly turn soft when we dip them in coffee. They will get so soft that your fork should be able to just glide right through them. Next we have the most creamy filling, made from mascarpone and pillowy whipped cream. It’s light and airy, but still jam packed with delicious flavors. For an unusual twist on the classic tiramisu, I add toasted hazelnuts for a delectable crunch.
Ease: This recipe is more simple than it may seem. To start, we toast up some chopped hazelnuts. This will only take about 5 minutes or , so it’s no problem. Then we have the filling which does have a lot of components, but it shouldn’t take you too long to whip up. Then all thats left is to layer. I use store-bought lady fingers because they make for a more sturdy base, as well as save you a lot of time. I have made homemade lady fingers before, but I find that they get a little too soggy for tiramisu. Honestly, the hardest part about this recipe is that you should let it chill for at least 4 hours before serving. This gives the flavors time to richen, and allows it to firm up somewhat.
The Layers
Let’s start with lady fingers. What even are they? Essentially, they’re little sponge cake biscuits. They are very dry and don’t have a whole lot of flavor. But that’s what makes them great for tiramisu. We dip them in coffee mixed with hazelnut liqueur which gives them a slightly bitter flavor as well as making them soft enough so that your fork slides right through them. Next up is the creamy layer. There are 3 parts to this: A vanilla custard, Nutella whipped cream, and mascarpone cheese. Traditionally, tiramisu is made with raw eggs, but I wanted to change that up so I start off by tempering eggs with milk and sugar, making a thick and creamy custard. Add that to some nice mascarpone cheese, and then fold in pillowy cream whipped with Nutella. It will be light and fluffy, but still have plenty of flavor. The sweetness of this filling evens out perfectly with the bitter coffee soaked lady fingers. On top of that mascarpone cream, I add crunchy toasted hazelnuts. This is unusual for tiramisu but I love the depth it adds. Then you repeat those layers again and top it off with the ✨iconic✨ cocoa powder dusting.
Lets Talk About Nutella
Now I love Nutella. For years I have loved it, and I used to eat it all the time. I love it just as much in baked goods, and it goes so well with so many things. But there’s a catch. It can be a huge pain to work with. It’s extremely sweet, and the chemicals and stabilizers that give it a long shelf life can mess up textures in baked goods. When formulating this recipe, I was a little worried this might happen, but I found a work around. Adding the Nutella to the whipped cream before folding it into the mascarpone and custard mixture prevents any curdling or other such nonsense. I thought about adding it to the custard, but in past recipe testing, this has ended in a split custard. And to make sure it doesn’t get too sweet, we don’t have a whole lot of sugar anywhere else. There is some sugar when we cook the eggs, but it isn’t too sweet, especially when balanced out with the bitter coffee.
I mentioned this in the last post, but fall is coming! Every time I go into Target I see more and more pumpkins creeping out. When I was filming the video for this tiramisu it was rainy and a little cold in the house and I was fully in the fall feels. I am getting so excited about the swarm of cozy recipes I have coming, and I am just itching to pop open those cans of pumpkin purée in my baking cabinet.
Chocolate Hazelnut Tiramisu
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper and evenly spread your chopped hazelnuts on top. Toast in the oven for 3 minutes, toss them around and bake for another 2 minutes. They should be slightly browned and fragrant. Set aside to cool while we make the rest of the tiramisu.
- In a medium heat proof bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolks together until smooth and combined. Set aside. In a medium saucepan bring the milk and granulated sugar to a simmer, stirring frequently. Once simmering, slowly stream ½ cup of the warm milk into the eggs, whisking constantly. Then, stream in the rest of the milk, still stirring constantly. Add this mixture back to the saucepan and cook over medium heat for around 3-5 minutes or until thick and creamy. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour into a small heatproof bowl and set aside. Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before using in the filling.
- In a medium sized bowl, whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks using a hand held or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. You can also do this by hand but it will be a bit of an arm workout. Once whipped, stir in the Nutella until just combined and set aside. Try not to over-mix, we don’t want to deflate the cream!
- In a large bowl, beat the mascarpone with a hand or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for about 30 seconds. You don’t want it to be creamy, we’re just breaking down the clumps. Add in the slightly cooled custard from earlier and whisk to combine. Add half of the Nutella whipped cream and use a large spatula to fold it in. Add the rest of the whipped cream and fold it until just combined.
- Pour the coffee into a large bowl and whisk in the hazelnut liqueur. Dip the lady fingers in the coffee mixture. Don’t let them sit in the coffee, but make sure they are fully soaked. Place half of them in an even layer on the bottom of a 9×13 inch rectangular baking dish. You may have to break some of them in half to fit, this is ok. Add half of the Nutella filling and spread it evenly on top. Sprinkle with most of the toasted hazelnuts (save a handful for topping). Layer the rest of the soaked lady fingers on top, and spread the remaining Nutella filling on the top of that in an even layer. Sift a layer of cocoa powder on top and sprinkle on some more hazelnuts. For best flavor and structure, let the tiramisu chill covered in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, or overnight. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
- Tiramisu stays fresh for up to 4 days covered in the refrigerator.