Tiramisù for Two

Brew the espresso, stir in the marsala if using, and leave it in a shallow bowl to go completely cold. Do this first — warm coffee is the enemy of tiramisù.

Set a pan with 3 cm of water on to simmer, and find a heatproof bowl that sits on top without touching the water.

💡 The bowl must not touch the water. Direct contact takes the yolks straight past custard and into sweet scrambled egg.

In that bowl, whisk the 2 yolks, the 50 g of sugar and the 20 ml of water together until smooth.

Set the bowl over the simmering water and whisk constantly for about 6–8 minutes, until the mixture is pale, thick, and hot enough that you would not want to keep a finger in it.

💡 This is the pasteurising step, and it is why this version is safe for a table with kids or a pregnant guest. If you have a thermometer, you are aiming for about 70°C.

Take the bowl off the pan and keep whisking for 2 minutes as it cools — it should ribbon off the whisk and fall back in a slowly disappearing trail.

Let it cool to room temperature — 10 minutes or so. Meanwhile, beat the cold mascarpone in a separate bowl for 30 seconds, just until it loosens and turns creamy.

Fold the cooled yolk mixture into the mascarpone in three goes, with a spatula, lifting from the bottom rather than beating.

💡 Beginner's warning: mascarpone splits if you overwork it or if you hit it with something warm. Cool base, cold cheese, gentle folding — in that order.

Stop the moment it is one smooth, ivory cream. It should hold a soft peak and drop off the spatula reluctantly.

Dip each savoiardo in the cold coffee for about 1 second per side — in and out, no soaking — and lay them in the base of two glasses, breaking them to fit.

💡 One second feels far too short and it is exactly right. The biscuit keeps drinking after it leaves the bowl; a long dip gives you coffee soup by morning.

Spoon over half the mascarpone cream and level it. Add a second layer of dipped savoiardi, then the rest of the cream, smoothing the top flat.

Cover the glasses and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.

Dust thickly with bitter cocoa through a small sieve only when you are about to serve.

💡 Cocoa dusted early draws moisture from the cream and turns into a damp brown crust. It takes ten seconds — do it at the table if you like.