The Best Italian Tiramisù

For the savoiardi (prepare in advance)

Separate the eggs, whip the whites with sugar and a little pinch of salt until very firm. 

Beat the yolks and incorporate very gently into the whipped whites. 

Fold the sifted flour in gradually with a spatula until smooth but still airy and add the lemon zest.

Place the mixture into a pastry bag. 

Preheat the oven to 200°C and pipe the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking tray to create 8cm-long logs. 

Dust the savoiardi with sugar first, followed by icing sugar, and bake for 6-7 minutes until golden. When ready, open the oven door and let them cool there to dry them well.

For the mascarpone mousse

Beat the yolks with the sugar and the passito wine in a heatproof bowl. 

Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water to create a bain-marie. Cook and whisk until it becomes a pale and fluffy sabayon – about 4 minutes on very low heat. Make sure the water never reaches boiling. 

Keep cooking the sabayon for a few more minutes until it reaches a custard consistency or 80°C.

Remove from the heat and cool down in a separate bowl but do not refrigerate.

Beat the mascarpone with a whisk to make it creamy, and gradually incorporate the sabayon. 

Now fold the whipped cream in gently.

Set the mascarpone mousse in the fridge to firm up for a couple of hours.

Do not discard the egg whites. Instead, keep them in the fridge for a few days. They can be used for many other recipes.

To build the tiramisù

Dip the savoiardi into the coffee with a splash of amaretto, and let them soak for 2 seconds. Don’t overdo it or the biscuits will be too soggy. 

Cover the base of the tray with the mascarpone mousse and place the savoiardi on top.

Repeat the operation to create more layers. 

When you have reached the top of the tray, finish off with a dust of bitter cocoa powder or grated dark chocolate just before serving.