Thai Tea Tiramisu
Makes one 8×8 Tiramisu but the cream yields enough for a Tiramisu as big as 9×13. Double dusting powder, ladyfingers, and Thai tea concentrate if increasing size.
Thai Tea Tiramisu
A traditional tiramisu gets its signature creaminess from a zabaglione, a mixture of egg yolks whisked with sugar and optional rum. That, combined with mascarpone makes for a rich, creamy texture that hugs all of the little lady fingers. While I’ve made dozens of tiramisus with a zabaglione throughout my life, when I’m looking for a shortcut, I turn to sweetened condensed milk. And if you haven’t noticed yet, I’m also using Thai tea in this tiramisu, so I'm sorry tiramisu pursuits, no part of this recipe is traditional!
In this version, sweetened condensed milk, mascarpone, and heavy whipping cream create the creamy filling that not only saves time in the kitchen but also simplifies the ingredient list. And while I love coffee, there’s something uniquely delicious about the sweet, mildly floral flavor that Thai tea imparts to this tiramisu that makes it a winner. Really, if you want to win your dinner party, make this recipe! It's no-bake, easily make-aheadable (I'm inventing a new word), and most importantly: delicious.
This tiramisu is dusted with a mixture of tumeric (for color and extra earthy flavor), powdered sugar, and cardamom. It's on the earthy side, so adjust your ingredient ratios as needed Classic tiramisu is typically topped with cocoa powder or shaved chocolate, and I'd imagine that shaved white chocolate would be a tasty topping alternative for this recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 (14-ounce) can of full-fat sweetened condensed milk
- 2 (8-ounce) containers of Mascarpone cheese (or 2 1/4 cups or 450g)
- 2 tablespoons rum, optional
- 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup Thai tea leaves (such as ChaTraMue brand)
- 1 1/2 cup water
- 20 to 25 lady fingers
- 1/4 cup ground turmeric, for dusting
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, for dusting
- 1 tablespoon ground cardamom, for dusting
Directions
- Make the Thai tea concentrate: In a saucepan, add water and the add loose Thai tea into a steeper and heat on medium-to-high heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let steep for at least five minutes. Toward the end, add a tablespoon of the sweetened condensed milk (or two tablespoons of whole milk) and the optional rum. Mix well and remove from heat and let cool. Set aside.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, pour in the heavy whipping cream and beat on medium for two minutes until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- Clean out the bowl and add in the mascarpone cheese and sweetened condensed milk (add mascarpone first so the sweetened condensed whips into the filling evenly). Beat on medium until combined, about a minute (any longer and the fat will begin to separate. There's no going back when this happens so be vigilant!). Gradually fold in the whipped cream mixture with the sweetened condensed-mascarpone mixture until combined. Set aside.
- Make the dusting mixture: In a small bowl, combine the ground turmeric, powdered sugar, and ground cardamom.
- In a 8x8 ceramic or baking dish (size is flexible!), lightly dust the dusting mixture on the base of the dish.
- Dip your ladyfingers in the Thai tea mix, turning them in the liquid to cover all sides, before using them to line your serving dish. Do this quickly, no more than a second or two for each ladyfinger or else they'll mush. Line the bottom row (cutting ladyfingers in half is need-be) and spoon a generous heaping of the mascarpone mixture, spreading it smoothly across the surface. Optionally go in with another layer of the dusting mixture.
- Repeat the coffee and mascarpone layers and reserve the dusting mixture. Cover and let sit in the fridge for at least four hours, but ideally overnight. Once you're ready to serve, dust with the remaining dusting mixture and enjoy!
