Bright berries and cream are a match made in heaven in this berry tiramisu, with tender ladyfinger cookies soaking up all the fruit juice.
Instructions
1
Sweeten the berries
2
Place the clean, dry berries in a large bowl. Mix 1/3 cup sugar with the orange zest and orange juice. Gently toss the mixture with the berries. Refrigerate the berries, covered, for 45 minutes. Editor's Tip: You can alternatively add the sugar, zest and juice to the bowl with the berries without mixing them first. Just be sure to give the berries an extra stir to evenly incorporate everything.
3
Whip the cream
4
Beat the cream until soft peaks form. In another bowl, mix the mascarpone cheese, the vanilla, and the remaining 1 cup of sugar. Editor's Tip: Beating the cream to soft peaks shouldn't take long. Test by lifting the beaters. If the whip has enough form to stick to the beater, that's a good sign. When you lift the beater upright, the tip of the cream should droop down. (With stiff peaks, it would stand upright.)
5
Combine the creamy layer
6
With a large spoon or spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture, adding a third of the cream at a time. Editor's Tip: Folding ingredients is different from stirring. Use a vertical scooping motion to blend the delicate whipped cream into the thicker cheese. The softer motions are meant to protect the whipped cream's airy texture.
7
Drain the berries
8
Set a colander or strainer over a shallow bowl. Strain the berries, reserving the juices.
9
Build the tiramisu
10
Dip one package of the ladyfingers in the reserved juices, allowing the excess to drip off. Arrange the ladyfingers in a single layer on the bottom of a 13x9-inch dish. Spread half the berries over the ladyfingers, and then spread half the mascarpone mixture over the top. Repeat the layers, starting with the second package of ladyfingers, then adding the remaining berries and mascarpone.
11
Chill the tiramisu
12
Refrigerate the mixed berry tiramisu, covered, overnight. If desired, top it with additional berries before serving it. Editor's Tip: Letting the tiramisu sit overnight helps to set the layers and gives the ladyfingers plenty of time to absorb all the juice and become deliciously soft.
