Classic Tiramisu

I made this for my mum's birthday last year as she absolutely adores tiramisu, and at the time I thought I hated it - although it was one of those moments where you say you don't like something even though you haven't tried it. This was the evening I discovered I love tiramisu! And other coffee flavoured desserts, like the delicious mocha cupcakes I made (see link at the side). I got this recipe from an Italian cookbook I have; I will post a link at the bottom of this post. The downside of this recipe, however, is that you need Marsala wine which is expensive, but luckily my mum already had a bottle lazing around at the back of the cupboard. I'm sure you could try it without, and just use extra coffee for dipping the sponge fingers in, but it wouldn't be quite the same without the rich, boozy flavour...

Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 3 eggs, separated
- 125g caster sugar
- 250g mascarpone cheese
- 200ml cold espresso coffee (I think I just made a regular coffee, but very strong)
- 4 tbsp sweet Marsala 
- 32-34 sponge fingers (you can get huge packs of these for really cheap)
- 75g plain chocolate, grated

1. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl with an electric whisk until light and airy.
2. Put the mascarpone in a large bowl and beat in 1/3 of the egg mixture until smooth, then fold in the remaining egg mixture.
3. Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until they hold their shape (if you can turn it upside down over your head!), then fold into the mascarpone mixture
4. Pour the coffee and Marsala into a shallow bowl and dip in the sponge fingers until soaked on both sides, but not all the way through - be careful here because I left them in too long and they went a bit too soggy and it meant there wasn't as much liquid mixture for the other sponge fingers. I actually ended up using more coffee and wine than it said, so this is always an option too.
5. Arrange a layer of tightly packed biscuits in four 4 inch bowls. Spread with half the mascarpone mixture, then top with a second layer of sponge fingers. Cover with the remaining mascarpone mixture.
6. Cover with clingfilm and chill for at least 3 hours, or up to overnight,
7. Just before serving, garnish with the grated chocolate!

Enjoy :)
I also have a blackberry and lemon version of this recipe that I want to try out so watch this space!

This is the recipe book if you are interested: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hamlyn-Colour-Cookbook-Italian-Favourites/dp/0600619362/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331760603&sr=8-1