Tiramisu Without Brewing a Pot

Tiramisu has a reputation for being fiddly, but most of the effort is in the coffee. Traditionally you brew a pot of strong coffee, wait for it to cool, and hope it's strong enough. Use a coffee extract instead and that step takes thirty seconds.

You'll need (serves 6):

• 250 ml TCB coffee extract, diluted to espresso strength and chilled
• 2 tbsp coffee liqueur or marsala (optional)
• 3 eggs, separated
• 75 g caster sugar
• 500 g mascarpone
• About 24 savoiardi (ladyfinger) biscuits
• Cocoa powder to dust

Method:

1. Beat the yolks with the sugar until pale, then fold in the mascarpone.
2. Whisk the whites to soft peaks and fold them gently into the mascarpone mix.
3. Mix the coffee and liqueur in a shallow dish.
4. Dip each biscuit quickly (one second per side is enough) and lay them in a dish.
5. Spread over half the cream, repeat with another layer of biscuits, then finish with the rest of the cream.
6. Chill for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. Dust with cocoa before serving.

The real benefit is consistency. The coffee flavour is the same every time you make it, which is exactly why bakeries and dessert makers use extract at scale.