Mascarpone Cheese
2 c heavy cream, not ultra pasteurized1 tbsp lemon juice
Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a wide skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low so the water is barely simmering. Pour the cream into a medium heat-resistant bowl, then place the bowl into the skillet. Heat the cream, stirring often, to 190 F. If you do not have a thermometer, wait until small bubbles keep trying to push up to the surface.
It will take about 15 minutes of delicate heating. Add the lemon juice and continue heating the mixture, stirring gently, until the cream curdles. All that the whipping cream will do is become thicker, like a well-done crème anglaise. It will cover a back of your wooden spoon and you will be able to draw a solid line through it with a finger. You will also see just a few clear whey streaks when you stir.
Remove the bowl from the water and let cool for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, line a sieve with four layers of dampened paper coffee filters and set it over a bowl. Transfer the mixture into the lined sieve. Do not squeeze the cheese in the filters or press on its surface (be patient, it will firm up after refrigeration time). Once cooled completely, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (in the sieve) overnight or up to 24 hours.
Ladyfingers
3 eggs, separated6 tbsp sugar
¾ cup all purpose flour + 2 tbsp cornstarch
6 tbsp powdered sugar
Preheat your oven to 350F and have at the ready a silpat mat covered baking sheet and a springform pan with parchment paper at the bottom.
Beat the egg whites using a hand held electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gradually add granulate sugar and continue beating until the egg whites become stiff again, glossy and smooth.
In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks lightly with a fork and fold them into the meringue, using a wooden spoon. Sift the flour over this mixture and fold gently until just mixed. It is important to fold very gently and not overdo the folding. Otherwise the batter would deflate and lose volume resulting in ladyfingers that are flat and not spongy.
Fit a pastry bag with a plain tip and fill with the batter. Pipe the batter into 12 5" long and ¾" wide strips leaving about 1" space in between the strips. Pipe the remaining batter into the bottom of the springform pan.
Sprinkle half the confectioner's sugar over the ladyfingers and wait for 5 minutes. The sugar will pearl or look wet and glisten. Now sprinkle the remaining sugar. This helps to give the ladyfingers their characteristic crispness. Hold the parchment paper in place with your thumb and lift one side of the baking sheet and gently tap it on the work surface to remove excess sprinkled sugar.
Bake the Ladyfingers for 10 minutes, then rotate the sheet and bake for another 5 minutes or so until the puff up, turn lightly golden brown and are still soft. Allow them to cool slightly on the sheets for about 5 minutes and then remove the ladyfingers from the baking sheet with a metal spatula while still hot, and cool on a rack. Store them in an airtight container till required. They should keep for 2 to 3 weeks.
Coffee Mixture (for dipping Ladyfingers)
1/2 c hot water2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp instant espresso
2 tbsp Kahlua
Combine the water and espresso in a small saucepan until dissolved. Next, add the sugar and Kahlua. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and let simmer for 3 minutes, uncovered, stirring a few times.
Cheesecake
1 tbsp hot water1 tbsp instant espresso
2/3 cup heavy cream
24 ladyfingers divided (see recipe above)
24 oz full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 large eggs, room temp
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Stir the water and instant coffee together in a small cup until dissolved. Let cool. Stir coffee into the heavy cream. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 F.
First, generously butter the sides of an 8 or 9-inch springform pan. Bake the Ladyfinger base per the above instructions. Once baked, and cooled, brush some of the coffee mixture on top of the Ladyfinger base (but don't soak).
Next, in a stand mixer, beat one package of the cream cheese, 1/3 cup of the sugar, and the cornstarch on low speed until smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl and beaters with a spatula as needed. Blend in remaining cheese, one package at a time.
Add the eggs, one at a time, and continue to beat slowly until combined. Beat in the remaining sugar and vanilla and beat on medium speed just until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in the heavy cream mixture until blended; take care not to over whip! Place a large baking sheet on the bottom shelf and put about 4 c water in to create steam throughout baking process.
Spoon the batter into a springform pan. Bake the cheesecake for about 70 minutes - the outside of the cake will set but the center will still be loose.
Remove the cake from the oven and let cool in the pan, on a wire rack, for 2 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely cold, preferably overnight or at least 4 hours.
Top the cold cheesecake, still in the pan, with a layer of 12 ladyfingers dipped in the coffee mixture. Transfer the cake to the freezer until completely frozen, 3-4 hours or overnight.
Tiramisu
12 oz cold heavy cream2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
8 oz. mascarpone cheese
In a medium-size bowl, whip the cream with the mixer on high speed until it thickens and soft peaks begin to form. With the mixer still running, add the sugar and beat until the stiff peaks form. Do not over mix! Beat in vanilla. Gently fold in the mascarpone with a rubber spatula.
Assemble
Remove the cake from the freezer and let it stand at room temperature about 10 minutes. Spoon the 2/3 of the mascarpone mixture on the top of the cheesecake and even out with a frosting spatula. Since the cheesecake is still very cold, the mascarpone cream will set fast.Release and gently remove the sides of the springform. Spread the remaining mascarpone cream around the sides of the cake.
Lastly, sprinkle with cocoa powder or chocolate curls to decorate.
Refrigerate at least 2 hours, until the mascarpone layer is cold and cheesecake layer has defrosted.
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