raspberry tiramisu

The word tiramisu means “pick me up” in Italian, and while this dessert isn’t the traditional coffee-flavoured version, it is precisely the type of mood-boosting dessert we need in the summer. My raspberry tiramisu is a fresh-tasting take on the original, with layers of whipped mascarpone and creamy raspberry filling sandwiched between layers of orange and Grand Marnier soaked Italian lady finger cookies. The raspberries add a touch of tartness and brightness to a dessert that can sometimes feel too rich to go back for seconds, and the hint of liqueur adds a certain “je ne sais quoi” which I love. Make this anytime you want an easy, make-ahead dessert to impress family and friends – 8-24 hours in the fridge is the key to the flavours marrying and the ladyfingers softening. Feel free to omit the Grand Marnier and rum if you’re serving kids, of course.

Makes one 9×13-inch dish

Ingredients

325 g fresh raspberries (or thawed and drained if using frozen)
2/3 cup sugar, divided
1 pinch sea salt
2 tsp vanilla, divided
300 g mascarpone cheese
   
2 cups whipping cream
  zest of 1/2 an orange
 1½ cups orange juice, freshly squeezed
3 Tbsp Grand Marnier
1/3 cup rum
  fresh raspberries to garnish, as many as you’d like

 

Directions

  1. To a blender add the raspberries, 1/3 cup sugar, salt, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Blend until smooth. Pass through a fine mesh sieve if you prefer not to have the seeds in your final dessert – personally, I don’t mind them. Set aside.
  2. Using a bowl and electric mixer, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the mascarpone, remaining 1/3 cup of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla on medium speed until light and fluffy. Once or twice, pause and scrape the bowl to make sure no lumps remain. Transfer whipped mascarpone to a separate large bowl if you’re using a stand mixer because you’ll need it to whip the cream next. 
  3. In a large bowl, or using the stand mixer, whip the cream until firm peaks. Tip: start on low speed to get started, and gradually increase to medium to minimize splashing. 
  4. Add half the whipped cream to the mascarpone and fold with a rubber spatula to incorporate fully. Then add the rest and fold again. Scoop half of the mascarpone mixture back into whichever bowl used to whip the cream, and add the raspberry puree. Use your spatula to gently fold and combine. 
  5. In a bowl combine the orange zest, juice, Grand Marnier, and rum. Working quickly with the 9×13” dish (non-metal) ready beside you, one at a time dip each side of the ladyfinger into the juice. Be careful not to over-saturate the cookies with liquid because that’ll lead to a soggy tiramisu. Arrange the dipped cookies in the dish to make one complete layer, breaking them as needed to properly fit.
  6. Smooth the mascarpone cream onto the ladyfingers – an offset spatula is your best friend for this task.
  7. Dip remaining ladyfingers in the remaining juice, saturating slightly less than you did with the previous layer, and arrange them in another single layer on top of the raspberry cream, gently pressing lightly to make it more compact.
  8. Top with the raspberry cream, and cover with plastic wrap before refrigerating overnight.
  9. To serve, you’ve got 2 options: garnish with fresh raspberries and 1) use a sharp knife to cut into squares and then extract with a spatula; or 2) place tiramisu in the centre of the table with a big serving spoon and invite everyone to scoop out what they want for a decadently rustic presentation. You choose!