easy tiramisu cups recipe: Simple Italian Dessert for Beginner Cooks
Individual no-bake tiramisu cups with layers of lightly coffee-soaked ladyfingers, fluffy mascarpone cream, and a cocoa finish. This simplified version skips raw eggs and complicated techniques while keeping the familiar Italian dessert flavors.
Servings 6
Ingredients
- 8 ounces mascarpone cheese 227 g, cold
- 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream 240 ml
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar 40 g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 ml
- 1 cup strong brewed espresso or coffee completely cooled (240 ml)
- 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur optional (30 ml)
- 24 crisp ladyfinger cookies about 7 ounces (200 g)
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting (5 g)
- Chocolate curls or finely chopped dark chocolate optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Set out six small dessert cups or glasses. Make sure the brewed espresso or coffee is fully cooled before using it.
- In a large bowl, beat the cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until medium peaks form. The cream should hold its shape but still look smooth.
- Add the cold mascarpone and beat on low speed just until the mixture is thick, smooth, and combined. Do not overmix, as mascarpone can become grainy or loose.
- Pour the cooled coffee into a shallow bowl. Stir in the optional coffee liqueur. Briefly dip one ladyfinger at a time in the coffee, turning it quickly; do not let the cookies soak.
- Break the dipped ladyfingers as needed and place enough pieces in the bottom of each cup to make one thin layer.
- Spoon or pipe a layer of mascarpone cream over the cookies. Repeat with another layer of quickly dipped ladyfingers and mascarpone cream, finishing with cream on top.
- Cover the cups and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight, so the cookies soften and the layers set.
- Just before serving, sift cocoa powder over the tops. Add optional chocolate curls or chopped chocolate and serve chilled.