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