Tiramisù with vin santo

I couldn't decide whether I should include my tiramisù recipe in this book since it appears in my last one. But having asked a substantial number of Italians what their favourite Italian dessert is, the response was always the same: tiramisù. So I decided to share it once more. You will appreciate the coffee lift and the vin santo hit on a night out on the town.

Separate the egg whites and yolks. In a spotlessly clean, dry bowl, whisk the whites until stiff.

In a separate large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, mascarpone and caster sugar. Gently fold in the beaten egg whites.

Sweeten the coffee with the vin santo and granulated sugar. Pour the coffee into a shallow bowl. Holding the biscuits horizontally, dip them in the coffee one by one so that the bottom gets a brief dunk but the top stays dry. Work quickly so that the biscuits don't get soggy. Discard the leftover coffee.

Coat the bottom of a deep-sided baking dish with a layer of the mascarpone cream, followed by a layer of savoiardi. Alternate the layers until all of the ingredients have been used, finishing with a layer of the cream. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least two hours.

Sprinkle with the cocoa powder just before serving. Do not sprinkle the cocoa powder on top of the dessert until you’re ready to serve, otherwise it will disappear as it dissolves into the cake.