Prepare the components
01Brew and cool the coffee.
Prepare about 300 ml strong coffee or espresso and let it cool completely. Hot coffee softens the savoiardi too aggressively and can loosen the mascarpone layer.
About Tiramisù
Tiramisù succeeds through contrast: dry savoiardi absorb coffee without collapsing, while mascarpone cream stays rich but airy enough to cut cleanly after chilling. Cocoa contributes bitterness at the surface and keeps the dessert from tasting simply sweet.
Le Beccherie in Treviso is closely associated with the codified modern form of tiramisù. Its published recipe uses only egg yolks, sugar, mascarpone, savoiardi, coffee and cocoa. It contains neither whipped cream nor alcohol, and the restaurant notes that its “legitimate” version was traditionally made as a circular dessert and served in wedges.
The published Le Beccherie quantities are very large: twelve yolks, 500 g sugar, 1 kg mascarpone and sixty savoiardi. This recipe uses exactly half that yolk-sugar-mascarpone-sponge ratio, making a practical home-sized dessert while preserving the same structure.
Coffee is the variable that requires judgement because the historic recipe gives it “quanto basta” — as much as needed. The ladyfingers should take on coffee flavour and moisture but remain structured. A quick dip is more reliable than soaking them until fully saturated.
Chilling is part of the method, not merely storage. Several hours in the refrigerator let the coffee redistribute and the mascarpone cream firm enough for a clean slice. Cocoa is best sifted on just before the final chill or shortly before serving, depending on whether a dry or slightly absorbed surface is preferred.
