Tiramisu a la Teacup

Tiramisu & Me (taken by Domkeykong)

I've been my family's designated tiramisu-maker for well over a decade now. Over the years, I've adapted a recipe that my mother's Italian teacher passed on to her. In keeping with my preference for simplicity, I've pared it down to six quality ingredients: eggs, mascarpone, lady's finger biscuits, a sweetener like sucanat or xyla, espresso, and cocoa powder. 

Tiramisu ingredients (missing coffee & xyla)

While I occasionally experiment with substitution, I haven't been terribly adventurous. When I first started making tiramisu I was a little young for alcohol so as a result, I've grown used to not including it in my recipe. I've often thought about including the traditional brandy, marsala, or rum in my recipe, but I somehow always end up following my same trusted recipe. I don't think mine is the best tiramisu out there, yet I believe there is something to be had of a recipe that is simple, tasty, and unfailing.

Adding xyla to the egg yolks

Ingredients for a large tiramisu (roughly serves 12)
Eggs (3 large ones)
Xyla/sucanat or your sweetener of choice (2 tablespoons or more depending on your taste)
Mascarpone (500g)
Lady's finger biscuits (1.5 packets)
Espresso/americano for dipping
Cocoa powder

1. Crack the eggs and separate the yolks and the whites into two different bowls.
2. In one bowl beat the egg whites until stiff.
3. In the other bowl mix the xyla or sucanat and mascarpone with the egg yolks until the mixture is smooth.
4. Gently fold the stiff egg whites into the mascarpone mixture.
5. Dip the lady's finger biscuits into the espresso/americano mixture and layer them in a dish. Cover the bottom of the dish with coffee-dipped biscuits. Next, layer the mascarpone mixture on top. Then add another layer of coffee-dipped biscuits. Finally, layer generously with the mascarpone mixture on top (depending on size of your dish, you can layer 2 or 3 times).
6. Place the tiramisu in the fridge and allow to set overnight. Add cocoa powder on top before serving.