Chocolate Amaretti Tiramisu

We shared a slice of tiramisu, and he saved the last bite for me.  I was smitten.

It's been almost ten years since our first date and the guy with impeccable manners still saves me the last bite and remains amused when I lick my plate.  I'm a very fortunate woman. 

For Valentine's day I'm making him a Chocolate Amaretti Tiramisu, reminiscent of our first date, but better.  With a few adjustments to my traditional Tiramisu recipe, this dessert is a chocolate lovers heaven.

You'll need:

• 1 cup hot water
• 1 heaping tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 ounces Amaretto
• 2 large egg yolks at room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons Marsala
• 225 grams mascarpone cheese
• 100 grams dark chocolate - coarsely chopped
• 3/4 cup whipping cream - divided
• 2 tablespoons icing sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
•  150 grams Amaretti cookies
• 30 grams milk chocolate- finely grated

Start by making the cocoa.  Add a couple of tablespoons of hot water to the cocoa powder and stir to form a smooth paste.  Add the remaining hot water and Amaretto, and stir until smooth.  Set aside to cool.

In a heat-proof bowl, set over a pot of barely simmering water,  beat the yolks, Marsala and sugar until the mixture is pale yellow and almost tripled in volume.  Using an electric mixer on medium high speed, it will take between 5-8 minutes to achieve the desired consistency.  Remove from heat and continue to beat for another minute or two while it cools.

Heat 1/4 cup of your whipping cream until it is hot to the touch.  In a small bowl combine the dark chocolate and hot cream, and stir until the chocolate has melted completely.  While the chocolate cools down a bit, beat the remaining 1/2 cup of whipping cream with the icing sugar and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. 

Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the melted chocolate and mascarpone until the chocolate is thoroughly incorporated.  Next gently fold the egg mixture and the whipped  cream into the chocolate mascarpone mixture.  Once everything is incorporated, you're ready to assemble your tiramisu.

Dip each Amaretti cookie briefly into the Amaretto spiked cocoa, and arrange a single layer in the bottom of a 9 x 9 dish.  Follow with a layer of chocolate mascarpone, and then another layer of Amaretti, and then a final layer of chocolate mascarpone.  To finish, cover the top with finely grated milk chocolate.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.  You could also make this dessert a day or two in advance, as long you keep it tightly wrapped in the fridge. Myself,  I think it gets better after a couple of days.