Easy Tiramisù with Cantucci (Tiramisù con i Cantucci)

Tiramisù – one of Italy’s most beloved desserts. I can hardly think of a more ubiquitous dessert here in Italy or outside of it. Who doesn’t love it? Today, I am sharing a super quick and delicious recipe for it using cantucci (almond biscotti) in place of the traditional savoiardi cookies. It is a delightful twist with extra crunch and flavor coming from the almonds and a hint of chocolate due to the addition of chocolate chips. Yum. This is the kind of dessert that you can whip up in the morning and serve in the evening. We all need simple and unfussy desserts in our repertoire and this easy tiramisù with cantucci fits the bill.

Tiramisù con i Cantucci

Although generally a culinary traditionalist, I really adore this spin on the classic tiramisù. This recipe has a lot going for it – it’s eggless so you don’t have to worry about serving it to pregnant women or worry about any risk involved in using raw eggs. Also, the lack of eggs makes the preparation easier and faster since you don’t have to spend your time separating them and whipping them up separately. In addition, there is no alcohol in this version so anyone old enough to have coffee can enjoy it. (You can of course use decaf if you want to serve it to kids, but the name tiramisù means “pick me up” and we all know that decaf won’t pick anyone up!)

I first had this rendition of tiramisù over a year ago. (I actually had it the night we celebrated the purchase of our apartment in Abruzzo so it has a special place in my heart.) It’s on the menu at a very popular restaurant that we love in Abruzzo called Da Luciano. It’s a vibrant spot that specializes in scrumptious arrosticini and pizza. They have a bustling business and don’t have much time to fuss with fancy or difficult preparations. They serve their tiramisù like this and were kind enough to tell me the basics of how they prepare it. Happily, I think I have mimicked their recipe very well.

Notes on the recipe

As I mentioned, this recipe is a cinch to make. There is not much to worry about or keep in mind. The recipe serves 4 but can be easily doubled or tripled if you want to make it for a larger group. To serve, I use 4 individual 200 ml (6.75 oz) jars for a cute presentation. You can use a small casserole with a capacity of 800 ml (27 oz.) if you don’t have tumblers or jars that size.

To make things super easy, I use store-bought cantucci but you can certainly make your own. I will when I have the time. If you do make your own biscotti, make sure to keep the almonds whole so that you get that wonderful crunch now and then as you eat your tiramisù. It’s one of the pleasures of the preparation.

This recipe is highly adaptable. For example, the amount of sugar that I propose suits my tastes perfectly as it’s not too sweet. You can obviously add more if you prefer sweeter desserts. I also use the chocolate very sparingly because, at the restaurant, they use it with a very light touch. You can adjust the whole recipe to your taste.

If you are a coffee lover like I am, you are definitely going to want to use good, homemade espresso versus instant coffee. There are so few ingredients in here, I think the flavor difference would be noticeable.

More treats for the dessert lovers…

Before I share the recipe, I want to highlight some other desserts on my site. In particular, you must try my recipe for Brutti Ma Buoni cookies. They are heavenly! Also, my recipe for Pizza Ebraica from Rome is one of my most popular posts.

I hope you enjoy this recipe for Easy Tiramisù with Cantucci. If you give it a try, I’d love to hear from you.

Easy Tiramisu with Cantucci (Tiramisù con i Cantucci)

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Serves: 4

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.8/5

( 4 voted )

Ingredients

• 250 grams (9 oz) mascarpone cheese
• 80 grams (3 oz) confectioners sugar, or more to taste
• 200 grams (7 oz) heavy cream
• 3/4-1 cup espresso, room temperature
• 160-200 grams (6 oz) cantucci (about 20-25 cookies depending on the size)
• 25 grams (8-10 teaspoons) mini chocolate chips
• cocoa powder to garnish

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix the mascarpone cheese with the sugar with a whisk to combine well and remove any lumps.
2. Whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks. Add 1/3 of the mixture to the mascarpone cheese, whisk in gently to combine. This will lighten up the mascarpone mixture. Add the rest of the whipped cream and delicately fold it into the mascarpone with a rubber spatula.
3. Add a third of the mascarpone cream to the base of 4 individual jars/glasses or a casserole dish. Briefly dunk the cookies into the espresso (Don't hold them in the coffee too long or they will get soggy. Dunk them for only a couple of seconds per side), and place a layer of cookies to cover on top of the mascarpone cream. You may need to break some of the cookies into pieces in order to get a solid layer of cookies.
4. Next, if using individual jars/glasses, sprinkle a teaspoon of chocolate chips on top of each layer of cookies. If using a casserole, sprinkle on half of the chocolate chips.
5. Add another third of the mascarpone cream and proceed with another layer of dunked cookies and the rest of the chocolate chips.
6. Lastly, top with the last layer of mascarpone cream and sprinkle cocoa powder over the top through a sieve. Place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours. You may make this dessert in the morning to be served in the evening. Before serving, you may top with more cocoa powder if desired.