Tiramisu Latte

Before you start

Tiramisu is coffee, mascarpone cream, cocoa and ladyfingers, and a tiramisu latte borrows the first three. A strong espresso and milk base sits under a thick spoonful of whipped mascarpone cream, finished with a fine layer of bitter cocoa. Drunk through the topping, the first sip tastes very much like the dessert.

The topping is the part to get right. Mascarpone alone is too dense to sit on a drink and can turn grainy if overworked, so it is lightened with cold heavy cream, a little sugar and vanilla, then whipped just to soft peaks. A pinch of instant espresso in the cream echoes the coffee-soaked biscuits. This recipe is alcohol-free; tiramisu often includes marsala or rum, and a variation covers that.

Ingredients

• Mascarpone cream60 g (¼ cup) mascarpone, cold
• 60 ml (¼ cup) heavy cream, cold
• 15 g (1 tbsp) powdered sugar
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract
• pinch instant espresso powder — optional
• Lattes120 ml (4 oz) hot espresso — 4 single shots
• 20 ml (4 tsp) simple syrup or vanilla syrup
• 300 ml (10 oz) whole milk
• 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder — for dusting
• 2 ladyfinger biscuits — optional, for serving

Method

1. Put the cold mascarpone, powdered sugar, vanilla and espresso powder, if using, in a mixing bowl. Stir with a spatula until smooth and loose, about 20 seconds.
2. Add the cold heavy cream and whisk by hand or with a mixer on medium until the mixture holds soft, droopy peaks, about 1 to 2 minutes by mixer. Stop as soon as it thickens; overwhipped mascarpone turns grainy.
3. Pull the espresso and divide it between the two mugs. Stir 10 ml of syrup into each.
4. Steam or froth the milk to 60 to 65°C (140 to 150°F) with only a little foam, then pour about 150 ml into each mug, leaving 2 to 3 cm of space at the top.
5. Spoon a generous dollop of mascarpone cream onto each latte. It should sit on the surface; spread it gently to the edges.
6. Dust the tops with cocoa through a fine sieve. Serve right away with a ladyfinger on the side for dipping.

Tips for success

• Keep the mascarpone and cream cold until you whip them. Warm mascarpone loosens and will not hold a shape on a hot drink.
• Sift the cocoa onto the cream at the last moment. It absorbs moisture and turns pasty if it sits.
• If you want a richer latte, stir 1 tbsp of the mascarpone cream into the espresso before adding the milk.

Substitutions

Mascarpone

Full-fat cream cheese whipped with an extra 2 tbsp cream gives a tangier, cheesecake-like topping. Plain whipped cream is lighter and less like tiramisu.

Heavy cream

Whipping cream works but makes a softer topping. Do not use half-and-half; it will not whip.

Simple syrup

Amaretto-flavored syrup gives the almond note found in some tiramisu recipes. Brown sugar syrup adds a toffee edge.

Variations

Iced tiramisu latte

Pour sweetened espresso and cold milk over ice and top with the mascarpone cream, which floats well on cold drinks.

Spiked tiramisu latte (21+)

Stir 15 ml marsala or dark rum into each mug. This adds about 0.2 to 0.4 U.S. standard drinks depending on the spirit; do not serve to anyone under the legal drinking age.

Troubleshooting

The mascarpone cream is grainy

It was overwhipped or the mascarpone was warm. Gently fold in a spoonful of cold liquid cream to smooth it.

The topping sinks into the drink

It was underwhipped, or the milk had too much foam underneath. Whip to soft peaks and steam the milk with only a thin foam.

The latte tastes flat under the cream

The coffee was not strong enough. Use a full double shot per mug, or a little less milk.

Storage

Serve immediately. Leftover mascarpone cream can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days; whisk it briefly before using. Mascarpone and cream are perishable and should not sit out for more than 2 hours.