tiramisù

• 125g caster sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 250g mascarpone
• 300ml double cream
• 2 tbsp coffee liqueur
• 2 tbsp sherry
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 pack of sponge fingers (200g)
• 300 -500 ml unsweetened espresso (cooled to room temperature)
• 2 tbsp cocoa

_{(you can leave out the coffee liqueur and use cocoa instead of espresso if you don't like coffee)}

beat the sugar with the egg yolks with an electric whisk until light in colour and fluffy.

in another (large) bowl, combine the cream and the mascarpone with the electric whisk until the mixture thickens. the cream must be very cold otherwise the mixture will not thicken.

using a wooden spoon, gradually fold in the sherry, coffee liqueur and the vanilla essence. still using just the wooden spoon gently fold in the egg yolks with sugar.

! it is important to follow these instructions exactly because otherwise the cream will be too runny !

spread about a quarter of the cream on the base of a large dish (it needs to fit in the fridge). lightly soak the sponge fingers one by one in the coffee or cocoa and arrange a layer on top of the cream. continue alternating the cream with the sponge fingers and finish with a layer of cream. dust with the cocoa. you can cover a bit to create a picture or writing.

cover with lid or clingfilm and leave in the fridge overnight or at least for a couple of hours.