Strawberry Elderflower Tiramisu (with Eggless Mascarpone Cream)

A cross between classic tiramisu and a springy strawberry shortcake, this strawberry tiramisu has a dreamy eggless mascarpone cream and a splash of elderflower flavor to bring out the fragrant, floral notes of the berries.

The mascarpone whipped cream is eggless, meaning no concerns about raw eggs nor fussy tempering custards! It’s simply whipped cream stabilized with mascarpone, making for a fluffy, cloud-like cream in between layers of softened ladyfinger cookies and jammy strawberries. (Note that ladyfinger cookies DO contain eggs, so this recipe isn’t completely egg-free, just the cream part is).

The tiramisu renaissance is upon us. Sure there will always be the sticklers that insist that it’s not really tiramisu unless it’s got espresso, mascarpone cream and cocoa powder, but I like to take a looser interpretation. Really, anything that involves ladyfinger cookies layered with mascarpone cream can be called a tiramisu in my opinion.

In the past I’ve made an orange marmalade variation on the classic, swapping the coffee for orange juice, marmalade, and Grand Marnier liqueur (spoiler alert: it’s wonderful).

But here I wanted something a bit more… springy.

And what’s more springy than ripe spring strawberries, picked straight from the field?

This strawberry tiramisu features the layers of ladyfinger cookies and mascarpone cream like the classic version (though this mascarpone is lighter and made without eggs), but that’s where the similarities end.

Instead of espresso, we’re using a loose strawberry jam that’s been spiked with a bit of St. Germain elderflower liqueur, and an extra brush of elderflower syrup for added flavor and moisture.

The classic dusting of cocoa powder? It’s now a vibrant flurry of freeze dried strawberry powder dusting the tops of the mascarpone mountains.

What you get is part tiramisu, part strawberry shortcake: an elegant dessert that’s entirely delectable. It’s impressive but surprisingly easy to throw together, and throw together well ahead of your dinner party to free up your time for other tasks (and in fact, the make-ahead nature of tiramisu is not a can, rather a must—allowing at least 3-4 hours or more for the layers to soften and meld is non-negotiable, overnight is even better). (more…)