After I published my recipe for tiramisu icebox cake, I realized that you all absolutely love this concept, so why not continue with it? I mean, tiramisu can be the foundation for so many interesting and delicious combinations, and I keep trying more and more of them.

The variations on this magnificent dessert can be in the cream, in the cake/cookie layer, in the toppings, you can think of so many ideas, and that’s exactly what happened to me on my morning run.

As I was crossing one of the bridges from the left bank to the right, I was thinking about recipe ideas, thinking about how I needed freshly ground poppy seeds (nearly impossible to find in Paris) and how I absolutely must make Christine Ferber’s kugelhopf again, and when I reached Concorde, I had an epiphany.

Chocolate mousse tiramisu! Two wonderful desserts that can blend together perfectly, layers of ladyfingers soaked in coffee syrup with a strong aroma, and between them, layers of the most delicious, cloud-like chocolate mousse you’ve ever tasted. Of course, all this magic would be topped with a dark chocolate ganache with touches of the coffee syrup the ladyfingers were soaked in. A true delight.

Chocolate Mousse Tiramisu
Long Pyrex dish 25cm, height 7cm

Ingredients
Coffee Syrup:
180g brewed espresso or strong brewed coffee
15g sugar
30g coffee liqueur like Kahlúa or brandy or rum

Chocolate Mousse:
125g whole milk (as fatty as possible)
240g dark chocolate 70%, chopped
30g egg yolks
220g egg whites
50g white sugar

Chocolate Ganache:
150g heavy whipping cream
120g dark chocolate 70%, chopped
2 tablespoons of the coffee syrup

Assembly:
Approximately 40g quality cocoa powder, sifted
Approximately 150g quality ladyfingers

Preparation
1. Coffee Syrup: Dissolve the sugar in the coffee, add liqueur and mix. Cool.
2. Chocolate Mousse: In a small pot, bring milk to just below boiling.
3. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a double boiler (bain-marie).
4. Pour the hot milk over the chocolate and mix until smooth, add egg yolks and mix vigorously so they don’t curdle. Cool slightly.
5. Whip the egg whites and gradually add the sugar. Whip until you get stable peaks, but not too stiff.
6. Fold the egg whites into the warm chocolate mixture until you get a uniform and airy mousse, and proceed immediately to assembly.

Assembly
7. Line the bottom of the pan with a layer of ladyfingers.
8. Moisten the ladyfingers (while they’re in the pan) with the coffee syrup.
9. Sprinkle a little cocoa powder over the ladyfingers.
10. Pour half the chocolate mousse over the ladyfingers and spread gently.
11. Arrange another layer of ladyfingers over the mousse, moisten with coffee syrup and sprinkle a little cocoa. Repeat with the remaining half of the chocolate mousse. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
12. Chocolate Ganache: In a medium pot, bring cream to just below boiling, remove from heat and pour over the chocolate. Wait about a minute and using a spatula, begin mixing. It’s recommended to mix in the center of the bowl without lifting the spatula from the bottom to prevent air bubbles from entering. Mix until all the chocolate is completely melted, add two tablespoons of the coffee syrup and mix to get a smooth ganache.
13. Pour the ganache over the top mousse layer and smooth.
14. Refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours. It’s recommended to wait overnight before eating, as the flavors of the dessert improve.

Bon-Appétit
Sharon