Description
A festive twist on classic tiramisu featuring a gingerbread mascarpone cream layered with gingerbread cookies and lady fingers soaked in gingerbread coffee, topped with cocoa powder and cookies. This rich and creamy dessert is perfect for holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Gingerbread Mascarpone
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1/3 cup + 3 tbsp (104g) granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp molasses
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 12 oz mascarpone, cold
- 2 cups heavy cream, divided
- Crisp gingerbread or gingersnap cookies (e.g., Pepperidge Farm gingerman cookies)
Gingerbread Coffee Soak
- 2 cups strong brewed gingerbread coffee (or unflavored coffee)
- 1 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 7oz package lady fingers
For Garnish
- Cocoa powder, for dusting
Instructions
- Prepare Gingerbread Mascarpone: Fill a pot with a couple inches of water and set over medium heat. In a heat-safe bowl that fits over the pot without touching the water, add egg yolks and sugar. Whisk until smooth.
- Dissolve Sugar: Place the bowl over the simmering water and whisk continuously until sugar is fully dissolved, about 5 minutes, testing by rubbing mixture between fingers to ensure no graininess.
- Add Spices and Chill: Remove bowl from heat and whisk in molasses, ground ginger, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla extract. Chill mixture by placing bowl in refrigerator or inside a larger bowl filled with ice, whisking occasionally until completely cold, about 5 minutes.
- Incorporate Mascarpone: Once chilled, whisk in cold mascarpone cheese until smooth and combined.
- Whip Cream: In a separate bowl using a hand or stand mixer with whisk attachment, whip 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream to stiff peaks.
- Fold Cream into Mascarpone: Gently fold the whipped heavy cream into the mascarpone mixture; the resulting filling should be fairly thin.
- Prepare Coffee Soak: Mix granulated sugar into brewed gingerbread coffee until dissolved; allow to cool.
- Assemble Tiramisu - Layer 1: Briefly dunk lady fingers for about one second into the coffee soak and arrange a single layer at the bottom of an 8×8 inch pan, cutting as needed to cover fully.
- Layer Mascarpone Filling: Using a large ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup measure, scoop 5 full portions of filling over the lady fingers and spread evenly.
- Add Gingerbread Cookies: Place a layer of crisp gingerbread or gingersnap cookies on top; do not soak these cookies in coffee to prevent softening.
- Repeat Filling and Lady Fingers: Add 5 more scoops of mascarpone filling over the gingerbread cookies and spread evenly. Then arrange another soaked lady finger layer over the filling.
- Top with Filling: Spoon 3 to 4 scoops of the filling over the lady fingers and spread evenly; you should now have about 1 cup of filling left.
- Whip Remaining Cream: Whip the remaining 1/2 cup of heavy cream to stiff peaks and fold it gently into the leftover filling.
- Pipe Final Filling: Place whipped filling into a piping bag and pipe dollops over the surface of the tiramisu evenly.
- Garnish and Chill: Dust the top with cocoa powder and decorate with additional gingerbread cookies as desired. Refrigerate overnight for best flavor, at least 12 hours.
- Serve: Slice and enjoy chilled.
Notes
- For gingerbread coffee, use seasonal brands such as Starbucks Gingerbread Coffee, Death Wish Gingerbread Coffee, or Trader Joe’s Gingerbread Coffee.
- If preferred, unflavored strong brewed coffee can be used as a substitute.
- Chilling the egg yolk mixture thoroughly is important for safely incorporating mascarpone and achieving a smooth texture.
- Do not soak the gingerbread cookies to maintain crisp texture in the layers.
- Overnight chilling improves flavor melding and texture but minimum 12 hours refrigeration is recommended.
- Use fresh, cold mascarpone and heavy cream for best whipping results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 19 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 33 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 225 mg
