Strawberry Tiramisu: A Fruity Take on an Italian Classic

Several weeks ago, my parents were invited to a small get together with friends. Whilst our friends did the cooking, my mother was asked to provide dessert. As always, she outdid herself and made several mouthwatering goodies: flan, bourbon balls, and tiramisu. I was home that weekend and longingly watched as mom assembled a delicious, easy, no bake dessert that I hadn't seen before. 

I love tiramisu, but this was something different --- a strawberry tiramisu. Elegant, delicious, decadent, fruity, and SIMPLE TO MAKE. The perfect dessert. Pleasing to both the eyes and stomach. I was intrigued and dying to try to dessert! Thankfully, when my parents came home, they managed to save me some and I greedily devoured my tiramisu. It was so yummy!

This past weekend, we had several friends over for dinner, so my mom decided that we would make this dessert together. I was very excited and eager to learn! (Also, I was very eager to devour this treat again). I was pleasantly surprised by just how simple this dessert is to make! Yes, it takes a bit of time, but it's not hard --- just a bit time consuming.

This dessert can be made in advance --- in fact, it should be made in advance so that it sets better. Although mom and I used strawberries, you can use any kind of berry. The first time my mother made this, she used strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. This dessert is so versatile and will really impress your friends! At our party, many people indulged and had second helpings, whilst some even had thirds! 

Ingredients:

- 1.25 cups strawberry preserves *

- 1/3 cup + 4 tbsp Cointreau (or some other alcohol of your choice) **

- 1/3 cup orange juice

- 16 oz mascarpone cheese

- 1 & 1/3 cup whipping cream

- 1/3 cup sugar

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

- 1 package lady fingers (you may not use them all, but have it to be safe)

- 2 containers of strawberries

- 1/2 package raspberries ***

* The recipe called for strawberry preserves, but my mom and I used lingonberry preserves. It's up to you.

** We were out of cointreau, so we used Grand Marnier. It worked just as well. 

*** We added a bit more pizazz by having strawberries and raspberries on top.

Directions:

1. Wash and prepare the strawberries. Cut the tops off and let the strawberries dry on a paper towel. 

2. Measure out the fruit preserve, orange juice, and 1/3 cup Cointreau. Combine in a 2 cup measuring cup or small bowl.  Set aside. 

3. In a medium size bowl, add mascarpone cheese.

4. Add 2 tbsp Cointreau to mascarpone cheese and mix. Fold just to blend.

5. In a separate bowl, mix cream, sugar, vanilla, and 2 tbsp of Cointreau. Use an electric mixer for this and mix until you get soft peaks or a whipped cream consistency. 

6. Add whipped cream mixture to mascarpone cheese. Gently fold together. Set mixture in fridge so it doesn't melt or get too soft. 

7. At this point, your strawberries should be dry. Cut the strawberries into two pieces. 

8. Once you are done slicing the strawberries, you are ready to assemble this delicious dessert! 

9. Paint whatever dish you intend to use with the preserve-cointreau-orange juice sauce.

10. Prepare the lady fingers. Line the bottom of your dish with the lady fingers. You may need to cut some, depending on the type of dish you use and how they fit. 

11. Once you have laid out your first layer of lady fingers, paint them with another layer of sauce. 

12. Once your lady fingers are painted, cover the lady fingers with the whipped cream. Try to spread the whipped cream as smooth as possible. 

13. Once the whipped cream layer is set, layer strawberries on top.

14. Add another layer of lady fingers on top of the strawberries. 

15. Paint lady fingers with sauce.

16. Add another layer of whipped cream. 

17. To finish, garnish top with strawberries and, if you want, raspberries.