Kahlua Tiramisu for Two
It figures that this small recipe for Kahlua Tiramisu for Two was the richest, most dreamy version I’ve ever made! I’ll just have to make another batch ASAP.
This Easy Tiramisu Recipe is ideal when your spouse or family is not a fan or snubs any dessert that has a hint of coffee flavor. This is when a mini version of a dessert comes in very handy.
Why You Must Make
- This Easy Tiramisu Recipe is perfect for date night or Valentine’s Day!
- If you’re not feeding a big family, this small-batch recipe is the perfect way to get your tiramisu fix!
- It’s an easy, no-bake dessert recipe.
- It’s so rich and luscious, you may want to make it every week.
With Valentine’s Day approaching, many of you are thinking of a romantic meal à deux. After raising 3 children, it’s hard for me to make anything that doesn’t serve 8! I guess that’s why we sometimes eat leftovers for days and days.
Thank goodness the hubby is a good sport. But since tiramisu is not one of his favorites, I made this luscious Tiramisu for Two for the coffee dessert lovers in the family.
Small Batch Tiramisu
I was a little leery cutting this recipe down to just two servings. It was the first time I’ve used savioardi instead of the spongy ladyfingers plus I substituted Kahlua for the marsala.
Sometimes a few tweaks work, other times, they can be the death of a recipe!! Thank goodness these Mini Tiramisus came out beyond my expectations. Since my two oldest were around for dinner, they each had one. But I won’t deny that I licked the bowl!
Expert Tips
I’ve tried scads of recipes for tiramisu and this is one of the best. The built-in portion control is wonderful for a one-time indulgence! Here are some tips for a flawless tiramisu:
- PRO-Tip: Have your mascarpone and eggs at room temperature. Egg whites beat best when at room temperature and the yolks and mascarpone will also incorporate more easily with the chill off.
- PRO-Tip: Don’t drench your ladyfingers. A quick dip in and out of the espresso mixture is all that is needed. Soggy ladyfingers should be avoided at all costs as they’ll disintegrate.
- It’s OK to shake up the flavors. Marsala wine is added to the espresso in a classic tiramisu, but I enjoy playing up the coffee experience with a coffee liqueur like Kahlua.
- Chill for at least 2 hours or even overnight to let the ladyfingers soften and the filling firm up.
- PRO-Tip: There are raw eggs in most tiramisu recipes, so be cautious and don’t serve it to the very young, very old, or anyone with a compromised immune system. Raw eggs may harbor a bacteria called salmonella which may cause nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, cramping, fever, and more, when ingested.
- A dusting of cocoa powder and easy chocolate shards are a pretty way to garnish for company.
Frequently Asked Questions
Translated from Italian, tiramisu comes from the phrase tirami su meaning ‘pick me up.’ It’s also known as a Tuscan Trifle as legend has that it was created in Sienna in the 17th century for a visit from the Grand Duke of Tuscany.
Tiramisu is a rich, layered dish that classically contains hard ladyfingers or Savoardi, mascarpone cheese, espresso, eggs, sugar, Marsala wine, rum, and cocoa powder. Of course, there are numerous variations.
There are hard, biscuit-type ladyfingers called savioardi and the softer spongecake-type ladyfingers often found in the bakery section of your grocery store.
Both can be used to make tiramisu recipes, though the savioardi are the most traditional when making an Italian tiramisu. They should only be dipped briefly in the espresso liquid so they don’t fall apart.
You May Also Like:
- Apple Pie Tiramisu from Beyond Frosting
- Tiramisu Cheesecake
- Individual Tiramisu Parfaits
- Plus, if you’re dying for chocolate cake but don’t want the temptation of a full-size dessert, try this Chocolate Mug Cake Recipe.
Kahlua Tiramisu for Two
It figures that this Kahlua Tiramisu for Two was the richest, most dreamy version I’ve ever made!
Ingredients
- 6 lady fingers (savioardi), cut in half
- 1 egg, separated
- 3 tablespoons sugar, divided
- ⅓ cup mascarpone
- 2 tablespoons Kahlua
- ⅓ cup cold espresso (or 1 rounded teaspoon of espresso powder mixed into 1/3 cup hot water)
- Cocoa powder
Instructions
- Cut ladyfingers in half and set them aside.
- Beat egg white in a medium bowl until stiff and glossy. Set aside.
- Beat egg yolk with 2 tablespoons of sugar until thick and pale. Beat in mascarpone until light and fluffy. Add Kahlua and mix to combine. Carefully fold in egg whites until incorporated. Set aside.
- In a flat-bottomed bowl combine the espresso and the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar. Whisk to encourage the sugar to dissolve.
- To assemble, use 2 8-ounce capacity ramekins or cocottes to start layering. One at a time, dip 3 of the ladyfinger halves into the espresso until almost saturated, flipping once then placing across the bottom of the ramekin. Follow with about 3 tablespoons of the mascarpone mixture, then dust with cocoa powder. Repeat with more ladyfingers, mascarpone, and cocoa powder. Repeat with the second ramekin.
- Chill for at least 2 hours before serving. Make chocolate shards using 1 ounce of chocolate if desired to garnish.
Notes
This dessert contains raw eggs so it should not be served to young children, the elderly, or the immune-compromised. If you can find pasteurized eggs, that's a safe alternative!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 618Total Fat: 40gSaturated Fat: 22gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 267mgSodium: 412mgCarbohydrates: 49gFiber: 1gSugar: 26gProtein: 11g
48 Comments on “Kahlua Tiramisu for Two”
I’m always reducing recipes to two people, I generally select recipes that are easily divided with the difficult to divide ingredients (like eggs) and it’s so much easier to convert everything to weight rather than volume.
Tiramisu is one of my favourite desserts but you are right, it’s so rich. Yours is beautiful and would make an awesome valentine dessert.
This looks amazing and what a perfect treat this would be for my hubby for Valentine’s Day. I’ve never made Tiramisu before but this looks easy enough to give it a try!
This sounds nothing short of amazing, Liz! Beautiful presentation too! 🙂
I love that you made this perfect for two! I made a big pan of Tiramisu recently for a dinner party – and it disappeared in a flash thank goodness – love it with Kahlua 🙂
This is perfect for Valentine’s day dinner! I think I will need two portions for myself hee..hee…
Why for two? They look so delicious I could devour both of them in a jiffy!
Teach me your ways! As a soon-to-be mother of 3 I’m often thinking how am I going to make enough food to feed 3 teenagers!? Haha – so nice you can scale things down a bit now. This is a perfect little dessert for two! 🙂
So luscious and decadent. Great idea making it as a smaller version because I fear I would eat more than I should it looks so good.
that makes me just want to dive in and I didnt have dessert today! yum!
I love tiramisu but never want to make a big one because we will never eat it. I can’t wait to try this version for 2!
This looks so pretty and is such a great dessert for 2 idea.
It looks delicious, my husband should make me such for Valentine’s day:)
I absolutely positively love how you served this. I have been wanting to make tiramisu and it just moved up on the list.
Great substitutions, Liz! Sometimes you need to go with your gut feelings on flavors.
Digging the “For Two” slant here. Checking out the other recipes. I think our dessert options are pretty limited because I don’t want to make a whole batch of something!
Looks delicious Liz! Love the photos.
My husband loves tiramisu. Won’t he be surprised when I make this for him?!
The Kahlua has to send this over the top…sounds fab and great to have a recipe for two! Wonderful dessert for a romantic ending to Valentine dinner!
Wow, this looks great! Especially in the little red ramekins:@)
I adore the aroma and flavour of kahlua and I don’t even drink! This is a beautiful and delicious dessert!