Lemon tiramisu

I made this many years ago for a ‘Come Dine With Me’ for friends and then I forgot all about it; having also forgotten where the recipe came from I’ve now recreated my own! After much consultation with other people’s Lemon Tiramisu recipes, plus the odd dodgy one made in between I’ve now perfected my own recipe and want to share it with you all.

This dessert is perfect if you have people who aren’t coffee lovers, you want something fairly simple to make, that’s light and refreshing, and it tastes even better if you pair it with freshly picked strawberries, raspberries or other summer fruits.

Limoncello is typically from the Gulf of Naples in particular the Amalfi coast famous for its lemons! It’s more usually served chilled as a digestivo after dinner but it certainly adds to the flavour of this dessert, so sit back and imagine your staring out to sea along one of the most picturesque Italian coastlines as you savour the flavour.

Limoncello tiramisu

Servings: 6 - 8 people

Ingredients:

• ½ cup of Limoncello

• 120ml / ½ cup of boiling water

• 5 Tbsps. of caster sugar

• 200g of sponge fingers / savoiardi lady fingers

• 500g mascarpone

• 2 lemons

• 1 Vanilla pod

• Grated chocolate and lemon zest for decoration

Instructions:

1. Add the limoncello, boiling water and 4 tbsps of caster sugar together and stir until the sugar is dissolved.

2. Dip the sponge fingers into the limoncello and create a layer of them in a dish about 22 x 15cm

3. Then in a bowl with the mascarpone, add a tbsp. of sugar, the juice of two lemons, the vanilla from the pod (scrape the seeds out in the mascarpone), lightly beat with a whisk – if it’s a little thick loosen with a splash of the limoncello mixture.

4. Using half the mascarpone add a layer of this onto the sponge fingers.

5. Dip the next batch of sponge fingers in the limoncello and create another layer.

6. Spoon the rest of the mascarpone on top of the sponge fingers and smooth with a knife.

7. Grate some dark chocolate on top for decoration along with the zest of a lemon, place in the fridge ready to serve later.

You can also make these as individual pots to do this, soak the biscuits by dipping them in and then put them in a bowl, you can then lightly mash them up with a spoon so you can layer more easily.

Limoncello tiramisu

Top tip: Before you layer the mascarpone check the sponge fingers are soft enough and don’t need another dip in the limoncello. This is a great dish to make in the morning and leave until you’re ready to serve.

Let me know what you think or share ideas for other non-coffee based Tiramisu's in the comments below. Don't forget to sign up to the newsletter for more foodie tips, exclusive recipes and more.