The Italian Next Door: Raspberry Tiramisu

O.K., so, definitely not "berry season" in my neck of the woods, but I think something fresh, sweet, and delicious is always an appropriate thing to serve, right?? (And, besides...... my local grocery store had 1/2 pints of raspberries on sale for $1.00 each! I couldn't pass them up!!)

Let me first say, that I love a good Tiramisu. Surprising, since I'm not a coffee drinker. But....add coffee to a dessert, especially one containing chocolate, and I'm all over it!! This version, although not containing coffee or chocolate, is delicious! A fresh, sweet and fruity version of an Italian classic!!

This is definitely a make-ahead dessert, as is the classic version. It actually gets better the longer it sits! It uses a combination of raspberry jam and fresh raspberries, a nice orange-flavored mascarpone cheese filling, and Ladyfingers. I used the Dry Italian Ladyfingers, called Savoiardi.

Raspberry Tiramisu (serves 8-10)

1 cup seedless raspberry jam
6 tblsp. orange liqueur (if you don't want to use alcohol, try using some orange juice instead)
1 pound mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
32-40 Italian Savoiardi(depending on the serving dish) or 48 soft Ladyfingers
3 (6 oz.) pkgs. fresh raspberries (about 3 3/4 cups total)
Powdered sugar, for dusting

The first thing you'll want to do, before you get started with the recipe, is wash and dry the berries. Pour a ratio of 3 parts water to 1 part white vinegar into a bowl. Add some berries and swish them around gently with your hands. Remove, carefully, to a colander and rinse lightly with water to remove any residual vinegar.

Now, place the berries in a paper towel-lined salad spinner and spin to remove the rest of the water. Then, I like to place them on a tray, lined with more paper towels, to absorb any remaining moisture.

Now....stir together the jam and 4 tblsp. of the liqueur. Add the remaining 2 tblsp. liqueur to the mascarpone and blend together.

Beat the heavy cream with the sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Use a rubber spatula to stir about 1/4 of the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture to lighten it up. Now, fold the rest in.

Now it's time to layer!!

(Depending on the dish you use, you will make either 3 or 4 layers of each ingredient.)

Start by placing a layer of the ladyfingers on the bottom of the dish. Spread some of the jam mixture over the top, then some mascarpone mixture, bringing it to the edges of the dish. Top with some fresh berries.

Continue layering until you've used all of the ingredients, finishing with a layer of the fresh raspberries. Cover the dish and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight. The longer it sits, the more the flavor soaks into the ladyfingers.....it really makes a difference.

**Note: I think that, next time, I might increase the amount of whipped heavy cream to lighten the consistency of the mascarpone layer a little bit, but it's delicious as is. :)