Tiramisu

INGREDIENTS
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/8 cups mascarpone cheese
24 ladyfingers
1 1/2 cups brewed coffee
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, beat yolks with sugar and vanilla until smooth and light yellow. Fold mascarpone into yolk mixture. Set aside.
Dip ladyfingers briefly in coffee and arrange 12 of them in the bottom of an 8x8 inch dish. Spread half the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers. Repeat with remaining cookies and mascarpone. Cover and chill 1 hour. Sprinkle with cocoa just before serving.
Sophia Loren’s Tiramisu
Serving Size : 8

3 whole eggs -- separated
5 tablespoons sugar
6 ounces mascarpone cheese
36 ladyfinger cookies -- 1 large pkg,. approx 36
1 cup orange liqueur
1 cup espresso coffee
2 ounces bitter chocolate -- grated
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder -- or 2 oz grated bittersweet chocolate

Combine egg yolks and sugar in a medium-sized bowl and beat well.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. In a third, larger bowl, combine the egg yolk mixture with the mascarpone, then fold in the egg whites to produce a creamy mixture. Arrange a tight layer of ladyfingers in a 9-by-12-inch serving dish.

Using a spoon, drizzle about half the liqueur and half the espresso over the ladyfingers. Cover the ladyfingers with the mascarpone mixture and the grated chocolate, and dust it with a little more than half the cocoa. Cover the filling with a second layer of ladyfingers and drizzle with the remaining liqueur and espresso.

Place the dish in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours (the Tiramisu can be made 24 hours in advance). Top with the remaining cocoa before serving. Buon appetito!