Limoncello Tiramisu

I made this Limoncello Tiramisu out of the desire to create something new, and out of necessity. You see, in a flurry of curd-induced madness earlier in December, I had made a bulk amount of lemon and citrus curd that was calling out to be used! We also had leftover mascarpone cream and lady finger biscuits. The recipe practically wrote itself! I made this one for the annual Christmas gathering of my dear friends from my local dog park (our group chat is called the IttyBitty Dog Committee). It’s a tradition I just love, and proof that you never know where you’ll find your people.

Unlike a traditional tiramisu, this version is zingy, bright and light, with the perfect boozy kick from the limoncello for good measure.

The ratio of cream to biscuit is a very personal one. I like slightly more cream than biscuit (about 60:40 cream to biscuit). While I know others prefer an even balance or (quite bizarrely, in my opinion) more biscuit than cream. As such, I’ve given a range in the amount of biscuits required to cater for any preference.

How many does this serve?

This makes enough for a big crowd of 17-22, depending on how big your scoops are. I assembled mine in a 3.5 litre trifle bowl for dramatic layers, but this would work equally well in a large casserole-style dish. If you have a smaller crowd to feed, simply halve the mascarpone cream ingredients. Though make the same amount of lemon curd, because it keeps for weeks and is bloody delicious!

Ingredients

• 400-600g ladyfinger biscuits, depending on the dimensions of your tiramisu vessel, and what your preferred cream-to-biscuit ratio is in a tiramisu.

• 250ml limoncello

• 100g white chocolate (for optional white chocolate shards)

Lemon Curd

• 3 whole eggs and 3 egg yolks, room temperature

• Zest and juice of 4-5 lemons (producing about 160ml of lemon juice)

• 125g unsalted butter, room temperature, cubed

• 230g sugar

• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

Mascarpone cream

• 6 eggs

• 380g caster sugar

• 1kg mascarpone cream

• 500ml thickened cream

• 3 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

• Pinch of salt

Method

At least one day before you plan to assemble your tiramisu, make the lemon curd. Crack three eggs into a large jug. Separate the remaining three eggs and add the yolks to the jug, whisk and set aside. (Reserve the egg whites for another baking adventure)

Place the sugar, lemon juice and zest, vanilla and eggs in a medium saucepan and whisk to combine. Add the cubed butter and then place the saucepan on the stove and turn the heat to medium/low and stir alternating between a whisk and a spatula (to ensure you can scrape the corners of the pot the whisk can’t get into) until the mixture thickens, and coats the back of a spoon - about 10-15 minutes.

Don’t be tempted to turn the heat too high or boil the curd - the key to a good curd is cooking it low and slow. Once the curd is at the desired thickness pour into a sieve over a large bowl. Use your whisk to push the curd through the sieve, leaving any zest and any cooked egg caught in the sieve.

Cover the surface of the curd with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge overnight fully chill and set. Alternatively, pour the sieved curd into clean, sterilised jars, seal with the lid and refrigerate. The chilled curd will last in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.

Start the rest of your tiramisu at least six hours, but no more than a day before you plan to serve your tiramisu. Start by making the mascarpone cream. Place a saucepan filled a quarter of the way with water onto the stove and bring to a simmer, and fill a large bowl with ice-blocks and water. Crack the eggs into a large heatproof bowl (I use stainless steel for this), add the sugar and whisk thoroughly to combine. Place the bowl on the saucepan of simmering water creating a double-boiler, and whisk for 10-15 minutes until the egg mixture has tripled in volume and is light and creamy. It’s critical you keep whisking, otherwise you’ll end up with scrambled eggs!

Take the bowl from the saucepan and place it in the iced-water bowl and whisk for 3-5 minutes to cool the mixture close to room temperature. Once cooled, remove from the iced water and set aside. Whip the remaining mascarpone cream ingredients to firm peaks. Pour in the cooled egg mixture and slowly whisk until completely combined.

To assemble, pour the 250ml of limoncello and 100ml of cold water into a shallow bowl large enough for you to dip the ladyfinger biscuits into. Start assembling with a layer of ladyfinger biscuits. One biscuit at a time, quickly dip into the limoncello and create a layer of biscuits. Spoon over the desired amount of mascarpone cream and smooth the surface. Place 2-3 generous tablespoons of the lemon curd on the cream and gently swirl through the cream, being careful not to fully mix it in.

Repeat this process until all the biscuits and cream have been used, or your tiramisu vessel is full, being sure to finish with a layer of the cream and curd.

Place the tiramisu into the fridge to set for at least 5 hours, or overnight if you’re particularly organised. Serve as it is, or top with tempered white chocolate shards if you’re feeling particularly fancy.

Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days, but the biscuits will start to lose their individuality as they succumb to the moisture in the dessert.