Lemon Tiramisu: A Sunny Take on a Classic Dessert

Tiramisu quite literally means “a pick-me-up.” The rich treat blends the bold flavors of cocoa and espresso with a creamy filling and wine (or rum) layered with lady finger cookies. 

It’s a versatile dessert and can be prepared family style for gatherings like Mother’s Day or graduation, or easily composed into single servings by using beautiful glassware.

This will be my first Mother’s Day without my mom, so of course, she’s been on my mind. The first time she ever had my tiramisu was while we were snowed in at a beautiful cabin in Lake Tahoe. She loved it so much and said it set her tiramisu bar — and high. 

Being my mom, she may have been biased, but I’ll take it. While the conventional style of tiramisu is coffee, cocoa and rum, if you think outside the box, the flavor combinations are endless. My mom loved to travel and brought back lemon liqueur Limoncello from a trip to Italy. It became the inspiration for me to mix up her beloved tiramisu. 

Prior to having kids, I didn’t care how long a recipe would take. I had prepared that Lake Tahoe tiramisu the traditional time-consuming way, with a luscious cream filling made with eggs. While most Italians do eat it this way, these days I look for faster ways to prepare dishes, so now I make a mascarpone filling that is lightened up a bit with freshly whipped cream. 

Instead of rum, I love to add Irish Cream to the coffee mixture, because let’s face it, you can never have too much Irish Cream. For a special Father’s Day treat, you could skip the coffee and dip your lady fingers into a rich chocolate peanut butter stout or add kahlua or frangelico to the coffee mixture. 

And don’t forget the endless possibilities you can add to the mascarpone filling, like peanut butter or hazelnut spread. 

A great recipe is one where you learn a method and then use that method to create your own flavor combinations based on what you love.

Lemon Tiramisu Recipe:

3 lemons, zested

½ c fresh lemon juice

¼ c limoncello

¾ c sugar

16 oz heavy cream

¼ c powdered sugar

16 oz mascarpone cheese

1 c lemon curd, divided

3 packages lady fingers

Sliced almonds

1. In a small saucepan, combine lemon juice, limoncello and sugar. Heat until sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, beat heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
3. Add mascarpone, ½ c lemon curd and zest of 3 lemons to a large mixing bowl. Using a hand-held mixer, beat until combined. Fold in whipped cream until fully combined.
4. To assemble, dip lady fingers into the lemon mixture and line the bottom of a 9 x 13 serving dish.  The exterior of the cookie should be wet while the interior stays somewhat dry. You may have to break some of the cookies to make an even layer.
5. Spread a layer of the cream mixture over the cookies, making sure cookies are completely covered. Spread the remaining ½ c lemon curd over cream filling.
6. Repeat with a second layer of dipped lady fingers, and then evenly spread remaining cream mixture on top. Sprinkle with sliced almonds to garnish.
7. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. 

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