Treat Yourself to the Scammer’s Tiramisu
You deserve tiramisu on a whim. It’s creamy, light, and slightly alcoholic—in fact, it’s the perfect mid-week treat. The problem is that making tiramisu requires weekend-level effort. The traditional method involves separating raw eggs and beating them to a certain thickness, folding them neatly, and then discovering that you did it wrong and made a liquid mess. That’s why I suggest you become a scammer and make a lazy scammer’s tiramisu.
I’ve ruined a classic tiramisu before and besides being a sad sight, it’s a terrible waste of ingredients. However, I cheated on a traditional tiramisu to make this reliable, incredible impostor. I’ve reduced the amount of effort involved, but made sure to retain the important flavors and textures of the tiramisu, even though it uses somewhat unconventional ingredients.
In the traditional version, the egg-based cream is the hardest part, and it can make or break the whole dessert. Instead of separating and beating the eggs, I take them out completely and replace the eggs with a couple of vanilla snacks—yes, pre-packaged vanilla pudding, which comes in packs of four. You will only need two cups. (Keep the other two for the activity of the same name.)
I made tiramisu in rocks glasses. Why? You might think it’s lazier to cook a large tiramisu in a pot, but something about this one-serving structure feels right. Maybe it’s because I didn’t have to spread the cream filling and mess up other dishes (I just scooped up the cream and crushed the wet cookies) or maybe because I didn’t have to plan the layers to make sure I had enough. each ingredient. I just scooped it up and then broke it. Whatever the case, glasses seem like the right choice for the lazy cheater.
I used these ingredients for my cheat misu:
Whip heavy cream and a tablespoon of granulated sugar to medium peaks . In another large bowl, add the mascarpone cheese and smooth it out until it softens. It’s a soft cheese, so you won’t need much. Add the puddings from the snack pack and, using a rubber spatula, mix thoroughly. The mixture will already be airy and delicious, but the whipped cream makes it lighter and makes the texture more like a classic tiramisu. Mix the whipped cream thoroughly and set it aside while you prepare the ladyfingers or savoiardi cookies.
Add two double shots of espresso and two teaspoons of marsala wine to a small, wide bowl. If you don’t have marsala, you can use dark rum, another spirit you think you’ll enjoy, or skip it altogether. Strong coffee can replace espresso if preferred or more readily available. Dip both sides of the ladies’ fingers in the espresso mixture, break it in half and place both halves in the bottom of a rocks glass. Add a tablespoon of the cream mixture – about two tablespoons, but I’m just eyeballing it. No need to smooth the cream, just press in another espresso-soaked savoiardi cookie, broken in half. Repeat layering until you reach the top, finishing with a dollop of cream. Sprinkle cocoa powder on top and place the glass in the refrigerator to soak and set, about two hours.
The mascarpone flavor and thick, distinct texture effectively eliminate the “packed taste” and make it as inconspicuous as a pudding. The pudding, thinned with mascarpone and lightened with whipped cream, leaves behind only an elastic jelly-like consistency. This gives the creamy mixture the richness and structure of the eggs, but without the egg fuss.
This tiramisu is a scammer’s victory with all the flavor and texture of real tiramisu in an easy-to-grab glass. This recipe makes three to four servings, depending on which glasses you use, and can be easily doubled using the same technique. You can even get a little naughty with your Snack Packs and try different flavors like toffee or chocolate. Feel free to serve this dessert at a party and tell your guests how much time you spent whipping egg yolks “just for fun”.
lazy cheater’s tiramisu
Ingredients:
- 2 double shots of espresso (4 ounces)
- 2 teaspoons marsala wine (or rum)
- 8 ounces heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 packs of vanilla snacks
- 6 oz mascarpone
- 12 lady fingers
- cocoa powder for decoration
In a small wide bowl, combine espresso and marsala. In a large bowl, beat heavy cream and sugar to medium peaks. In another large bowl, thoroughly mix the snack bags and mascarpone cheese with a rubber spatula. Stir in whipped cream.
Dip both sides of the ladyfingers into the espresso mixture, break them in half and place them in the bottom of a rocks glass. Repeat this for the other two glasses. Add a tablespoon of the cream mixture to each glass. Repeat layers until glasses are full, ending with a scoop of cream. Sprinkle cocoa powder on top. Let the tiramisu cups rest in the refrigerator for at least two hours before serving.