4 fresh eggs
1/2 cup (125 mL) Tia Maria or brandy
1 lb (500 g) mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup (125 mL) granulated sugar
22 stale soft ladyfingers
1/2 cup (125 mL) strong espresso
2 (1 oz/30 g) squares semi-sweet chocolate, grated

Separate the eggs between 2 large bowls.

Add the liqueur to the egg yolks; stir until blended.

Add mascarpone; stir until blended.

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form; continue beating while adding sugar, a little at a time, until stiff peaks form.

Add 1/2 of egg white mixture to cheese/egg yolk mixture; blend well.

Add remaining egg white mixture; fold in gently. Set aside.



Dip ladyfingers in espresso. Don't saturate them. Place, flat side down, in a shallow dish.

Add 1/2 of cheese mixture; smooth the top.

Grate 1/2 of chocolate over top, covering surface.

Add another layer of espresso coated ladyfingers.

Top with remaining cheese mixture; smooth the top.

Cover with remaining chocolate.

Refrigerate, covered, for several hours or overnight.

Can also be assembled in individual dishes.

Makes 12 servings.

The recipe in this entry was first published in "Beary Delights" a cookbook put together by the staff at Pierre De Coubertin School in St.Leonard, Quebec. The private publication was printed in 1996; it was used to raise funds. The cake recipe was contributed for the use in "Beary Delights" by Mrs. Suzanne Griffith. A staff member, who recently retired from his job at Pierre de Coubertin School, suggested that the recipes published in "Beary Delights" could be re-printed on this website....... P.S. The recipe in this entry is a "traditional" Italian recipe for "tiramisu." Prior to the 1960s many custard-layered cake recipes did not require the eggs in the custard to be cooked through as back then most eggs came from free-roaming locally-raised disease-free chickens. Nowadays home cooks tend to improvise the old recipes by making sure their custards are cooked through to avoid food poisoning from the use of raw factory-produced eggs. Photo and notes: Mary Melfi.

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