Hazelnut tiramisu

So, in the craze of everyone preparing a tiramisu that isn’t a classical tiramisu and that, by an Italian grandmother’s standards, would be regarded as a joke, one day, I did the same. It was that time of the month when guests were coming, and we craved something other than a French dish. And, most particularly, we craved tiramisu. But I could not bear the thought of it being the same, amazingly delicious yet plain tiramisu, so loved by us but so boring to my taste. And there it was, just in front of me—a tube of hazelnut paste. Well, the first time it was praline, but that turned out to be too sweet, and then it was paste. Layered between layers of classical tiramisu, it gives that amazing depth, taste, nuttiness, and a feeling that making this, I am not cheating on French food.

200 g ladyfingers
300 g hazelnut paste (or praline, but it tastes much sweeter). I use this one

for the coffee mixture:
180 ml cooled espresso
orange liqueur (I add around 30ml for a better taste and feeling :)

for the cream mixture:
5 fresh egg yolks
50 g caster sugar
pinch of sea salt
500 g mascarpone
150 ml double cream
vanilla powder

for the top:
150 g grated or finely chopped milk chocolate
30 g roasted hazelnut flour or blended roasted hazelnuts


Put the eggs, sugar, and salt in a bowl and whisk over a pot of simmering water until very light and airy, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from the pot and continue whisking until cool. Set aside.

When done, whip the mascarpone and vanilla in another bowl with a mixer for a minute to loosen it. Then, add one-third of the egg mixture and whisk it in. Add the next third and mix again. Finally, add the rest of the egg mixture and whisk until fully incorporated.

In another bowl, whisk the cream and vanilla until soft peaks form. Fold it into the mascarpone mixture.

To assemble the tiramisu, spread some cream on the bottom of a large plate. Then, dip the ladyfingers in the coffee mixture and lay them on top of the cream. Top with hazelnut paste. Add more cream on top. Add another layer of cookies, then the final layer of cream. Level out the top and cover with plastic wrap. Put the dish in the refrigerator to infuse for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Some time before you are ready to serve, sprinkle with chocolate and hazelnuts, or, what I like to do is...a