Tiramisu was born around 1960 and is one of Italy’s most beloved desserts — made with sweetened cream, strong espresso coffee and biscuits. The name comes from Italian tirami sù, meaning “pick me up” or “lift my spirits”. Today it’s one of the most popular and widely reinvented desserts in the world.
This version swaps the traditional Savoiardi biscuits for crunchy, spiced speculoos (Belgian spiced shortbread) — the result is a warming, caramelised twist on the classic that is absolutely irresistible!
Ingredients (serves 6)
- 250 g mascarpone
- 3 eggs, separated
- 80 g caster sugar
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
- 200 ml strong espresso coffee, cooled
- 2 tbsp Marsala wine or dark rum (optional)
- 200 g speculoos biscuits
- Ground cinnamon (to dust)
Instructions
- Beat the egg yolks with the caster sugar until pale and creamy. Add the mascarpone and mix until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites with the icing sugar to stiff peaks. Gently fold into the mascarpone mixture in two additions.
- Mix the cooled espresso with the Marsala or rum in a shallow dish.
- Briefly dip the speculoos biscuits in the coffee mixture (don’t over-soak — just a quick dip).
- Layer in a dish: speculoos biscuits, then cream, then speculoos, then cream.
- Dust with ground cinnamon.
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours (ideally overnight) before serving.
Enjoy! 🍮✨