Tiramisu is one of the most popular desserts around the world, one of my favorites for sure and because I love everything pumpkin during Fall season, I gave a little adjustment to my original recipe from a couple of years ago.

One thing you should know about this recipe is that I do not use eggs for the filling like you usually do for a real tiramisu. I have tested this recipe many times and when I used eggs, I did not like how it tasted with pumpkin and spices.

This recipe is easy and super fresh to serve after dinner or just to share with your family and friends during spooky season or Thanksgiving.

What do you need for this recipe?

* One of the most important things of making tiramisu is that you need Ladyfingers. Ladyfingers or Naples biscuits, in British English sponge fingers, also known by the Italian name savoiardi or by the French name boudoirs, are low-density, dry, egg-based, sweet sponge cake biscuits roughly shaped like large fingers. If you can’t find them at your regular grocery store, you can buy them on Amazon or try to make them at home.

* When I make tiramisu, I use Kahlua which is a coffee liqueur, it gives it a nice flavor to the whole desert. But, if you do not want to use alcohol or want to keep your budget low, just replace Kahlua liqueur with more coffee in the recipe.

*Use mascarpone cheese and not cream cheese. They are totally different. In flavor, mascarpone cheese is way less tangy and has fatter content to make your filling creamier and more delicious.

*For this recipe, I recommend to use an 8*8 square dish. You can double the recipe for a bigger pan.

Let’s start with the recipe and if you would like to see how I made it, visit me on Instagram @pastry_tales

Yield one 8×8 square dish. I prefer to use a glass one.

Ingredients

For the filling

7 oz ladyfingers (18-20 ladyfingers)

1/4 cup Kahlua or any other coffee liqueur. If you don’t want to use Kahlua, you can replace it with coffee in each part of the recipe where I mention to use Kahlua.

1/2 cup hot espresso (1/2 hot water + 2 teaspoons of espresso powder or instant coffee)

1/3 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 tablespoon white granulated sugar

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup powdered sugar

8 oz. mascarpone cheese

For dusting

cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Directions

1.- In a small bowl mix espresso, 2 tablespoons Kahlua, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Mix and set aside. This is going to be our coffee mixture for our ladyfingers.

2.- In a medium size bowl mix: mascarpone cheese, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, powdered sugar, pumpkin puree and 2 or 3 tablespoons of Kahlua. Mix until everything is well combined and smooth.

3.-In another bowl, whisk your heavy whipping and when it is foamy add one or two more tablespoons of coffee liqueur, until it reaches soft peaks. Add half the cream into the mascarpone mixture, fold it slowly and gently. Then, add the other half of the cream and keep folding until all is well combined.

5.-Now, dip half of your lady fingers into your coffee mixture and place it into the bottom of your dish. You might need to cut/adjust some of the ladyfingers, so it fits properly in the bottom of your dish. Be careful when you dip your ladyfingers, dip both sides but do not make them very wet, it has to be a quick dip.

6.-Then, spread on the top half of your mascarpone-cream mixture. Shave some chocolate on the top. Place the other half of ladyfingers on the top (first dip them in the coffee mixture). Add the other half of the mascarpone-cream mixture. Finally, dust some cocoa and pumpkin pie spice on the top. That’s it! super easy. Cover your dish with a lid or plastic wrap and let it chill overnight or at least 6 hours.

Serve and enjoy! You can dust more cocoa powder on the top before serving if you want.