Gingerbread Spiced Tiramisu
If you’re craving a non-traditional Christmas dessert this gingerbread spiced tiramisu will be the perfect treat.
We’ve got our first snowfall of the season. And it’s already more than the previous season all-together. So I’m feeling happy.
Me and snow are big buddies, I turn into a kid when I see it. What about you?
My dream is to have a big closed terrace in my home one day and observe snow falling outside while I sip on a warm drink under a blankie. All calm and peaceful.
If I had a piece of this gingerbread spiced tiramisu, I definitely wouldn’t mind. Or the whole tray, while I’m at it 🙂
So I thought since Christmas is approaching I’d try and make tiramisu and add some spices to make it more seasonal. And it turned out to be such a good idea. We ate it a snap and I had to make another one again immediately the next day.
And that’s why I’m sharing it with you today.
What do you need to make this gingerbread spiced tiramisu?
Cookies
You need some ladyfinger cookies. I know some people make sponges for tiramisu, but I’ve never eaten one without the ladyfingers. Ladyfingers are the original cookies used in tiramisu and for a good reason. They turn into such delicious almost sponge-like goodness when you soak them. I used store-bought cookies since I’ve never tried making them at home (my mission for next time I make tiramisu!).
But I found a good recipe for ladyfingers from Kayley from The Kitchen McKabe in case you want to make your own or don’t have access to any in your store.
Coffee
You also need some coffee. Typically you’d use espresso. I used Turkish-style coffee and strained the coffee afterward. I also tried cold brewing, but I felt like the taste was a bit too mild and sour for my liking. If you like that, then that’s also an option.
I can’t have caffeine and if you have the same issues, decaf is perfectly fine.
Spices
You also need gingerbread spices. I have a recipe for the mix down below, but if you have your own, go for it.
Cream
Italians traditionally make the cream with raw eggs and mascarpone.
I’ve made this cream many many times and it’s amazing. However, since we have a kid and in the midst of a pandemic I certainly don’t want anyone, let alone a kid, to get food poisoning, I decided to do a pasteurized version.
For my cream, you need egg yolks, mascarpone, and whipping cream. The cream is going to substitute the egg whites from the traditional recipe. I included the recipe for pasteurizing the egg yolks in the recipe below.
Dusting
Traditionally that’s cocoa. But I mixed it with some gingerbread spices to add more of the Christmasy feel.
Jump to Recipe
Gingerbread Spiced Tiramisu
Ingredients
Gingerbread Spice Mix
- 2 TBSP ground cinnamon
- 2 TBSP ground ginger
- 1½ TBSP ground allspice
- ½ TBSP ground cloves
- ½ TBSP ground nutmeg
- TBSP a pinch of ground black pepper
Cream
- 3 large egg yolks
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 cup mascarpone cheese (about 250 g or 8 oz)
- ¾ cup whipping cream
Other
- 20 ladyfinger cookies
- 3 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1½ cup coffee room temperature
- 1 TBSP rum
Instructions
Gingerbread Spice Mix
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Mix all spice mix ingredients together. Set aside.
Cream
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Place eggyolks in a heat-proof (non-metal) bowl and place it over a sausepan with simmering water.
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Use a whisk to constantly stir the eggs. They should heat very slowly, so they don't get cooked. They are done when they reach 60°C (138°F). If you don't have a termometer, you can either use raw eggs and skip this step or see how you can troubleshoot in the notes.
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Place the pasteurized eggs into a mixing bowl, add sugar and whip for 5 minutes, until slightly lighter (the pasteurized eggs don't get as fluffy as the raw eggs).
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Add mascarpone and mix on medium speed.
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In a separate bowl whip the whipping cream and fold it gently into the egg mixture.
Assembly
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Pour room temperature coffee onto a soup plate. Add rum and 3/4 of the spice mix.
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Soak ladyfinger cookies on both sides in the coffee and rum mix. Less if you want less soaked tiramisu and more if you want a more soaked tiramisu.
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Place ladyfinger cookies in a serving dish in one layer, covering the entire dish.
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Spread half of the cream over.
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Add a second layer of ladyfinger cookies on top and then spread the remaining cream over the cookies.
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In a small bowl mix the remaining 1/4 of the spice mix with cocoa and sprinkle it on top of the tiramisu.
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Place in the fridge to set for a few hours.
Notes
No termometer?
You can substitute the egg yolks with a chocolate spread like Nutella. You can add 2-3 TBSP, but omit the sugar.
This is also a nice kid-friendly version.
