almond croissant tiramisu
a birthday cake for my FIL
the tiramisu is the king of desserts
the almond croissant is the king of viennoiserie
it’s only right that the two should meet in this almond tiramisu, a birthday cake for my father in law
there’s the traditional espresso-soaked ladyfinger biscuits, light moussey mascarpone cream, but they’re joined by a not-too-sweet almond frangipane layer and it’s all topped with a layer of flaked almonds
this is an excellent dinner party dessert
note: this is a classic tiramisu, which means raw eggs. use the freshest eggs you can, or pasteurised eggs if that makes you more comfortable.
start a day before serving (or early in the morning!)
ingredients
almond frangipane
1 egg
50g butter, melted and cooled
50g almond meal
50g caster sugar
0.25 tsp almond essence
mascarpone cream filling
4 eggs, separated
120g caster sugar
250g mascarpone, room temperature
125mL whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla paste
1 tsp almond essence
assembly
100g (1/2 pack) ladyfinger biscuits
about 6 shots of espresso, cooled
optional: 2 drops almond essence, or 30mL amaretto liquor
cocoa and toasted flaked almonds, for sprinkling on top
method
almond frangipane
preheat oven to 180°C
line a quarter sheet tray with baking paper
mix together the egg (1), butter (50g), sugar (50g), almond meal (50g), and almond essence (0.25 tsp) to a smooth paste
spread evenly over the prepared sheet tray
bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden
let cool completely while you prepare the filling
mascarpone cream filling
place the egg whites (4) in a medium bowl, and whisk until they are lightly foamy
while whisking continuously, slowly sprinkle over half the caster sugar (60g)
continue until the egg white mixture hits firm peaks, then set aside
without cleaning your beaters, in a medium bowl beat together the egg yolks (4), vanilla (1 tsp), almond extract (1 tsp), and remaining sugar (60g) until pale and fluffy
add the mascarpone and fold through until just combined
in a third bowl (sorry), whip the cream (125mL) to stiff peaks
gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture
finally, add the egg white mixture in batches, gently folding between until just combined
assembly
spread about 1/4 of your filling evenly across the base of the dish
pour the coffee (~6 shots) into a shallow dish and add the almond essence or amaretto if using
taking the first ladyfinger biscuit (100g total), dunk it quickly in the coffee and place in the bottom of the dish
repeat, dunking and arranging the lady fingers to cover the entire dish
spread the next 1/4 of your filling over the top
crumble the cooled almond frangipane evenly across the dish
finish by spreading the remaining 1/2 filling on top
smooth the top, then dust with cocoa powder and top with flaked almonds
cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least a few hours or overnight
serve in generous slices





It’s my birthday in a few weeks and I think I’m going to make this!