Want an easy & finger-friendly version of tiramisu? Try No-Bake Tiramisu Truffles! Perfect for portion control, and you don't need a spoon!
Tiramisu as finger food?
Normally, Tiramisu is made with coffee-dipped ladyfingers layered with a whipped mixture of eggs, sugar, and mascarpone cheese, then topped with cocoa powder. It’s not really something you can eat without a spoon.
Why did I want to mess with a classic, I hear you ask? Well, I was catering my daughter’s Italian-themed bridal shower, and I wanted to get creative with the menu. You know, upend the expectations a little.
Remember me making the Limoncello? That was also for the shower.
Enter finger-friendly Tiramisu truffles – all the joys of tiramisu wrapped in a decadent bit of dark chocolate.
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Tempering chocolate made easy
The only downside to this plan was that I’d have to temper chocolate...again.
Tempering chocolate is just no fun to me, but this time I had a secret weapon…a KitchenAid Precise Heat Mixing Bowl (a birthday gift from my considerate family). It’s an attachment to the KitchenAid Stand Mixer that tempers melted chocolate, then holds that chocolate in temper as you dip.
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, head here for a quick refresher course. It’s ok…I’ll wait…hmmm…I need to get to the recipe soon…back with me? Great!
With this device, there’s no more standing and stirring until the temperature is just right, and you don’t need to bring your heating pad in from the bedroom. Score!
There was a learning curve involved when I flipped on the switch. I had to do the procedure twice to get the chocolate properly tempered (user error), but after I figured it out it was (mostly) smooth sailing.
I still needed to clean off the dipping spoon from cooled chocolate several times so that the truffles dropped onto the tray. Otherwise, they just stuck to the spoon, upside down, and no amount of tapping or poking would release it.
With those minor roadblocks handled, success was assured…or at least it looked promising.
With a recipe for If you give a blonde a kitchen's Tiramisu truffles in hand, let's get started!
What you need
- Ladyfingers: A classic ingredient in Tiramisu, here you're pulverizing them instead of dipping them in espresso
- Sugar: To make the filling sweet
- Mascarpone cheese: Another classic ingredient, this is what will bind the crumbs for the truffle filling
- Espresso and/or Coffee liqueur: Adds moisture (and a little booziness, if using liqueur) to the filling
- Chocolate: Creates the outer shell. Temper the chocolate for the best results
- Espresso powder: Adding a little bit to the chocolate enhanced the chocolate flavor, plus it complements the filling
How to make truffles
The steps for these Tiramisu truffles are the same for most truffle recipes, and starts with making the filling.
First, make crumbs with the ladyfingers.
Next, mix in the mascarpone cheese, then the sugar and espresso and/or liqueur. Chill the filling well, roll into balls, and chill again.
Now you're ready for the last step.
Dipping the truffle balls will take the longest amount of time because you want to temper the chocolate to get that nice snap when you bite into it. Don't skip this step, and be patient.
All the flavor, no spoon required
These Tiramisu truffles were quite the hit at the shower. The tempered chocolate had the requisite snap when you bit into it, and the inside had a mild flavor of tiramisu.
Truffles are such an easy way to have small bites of goodness, whether as a cake pop or just as a dark chocolate bite. Tiramisu truffles are the way to go if you want a portion-controlled bit of Italian goodness, no spoon required!
Slainté! L’chaim! Cheers!
Tammy
More recipes using dark chocolate
Remember, even though these recipes use dark chocolate, you can generally substitute the chocolate type of your choice!
No-Bake Tiramisu Truffles
Special Equipment
- food processor
Ingredients
- 24 ladyfingers, (1 package, 12 oz, 336g)
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 2/3 cup mascarpone cheese, room temperature (5-1/4 oz, 150g)
- 3 Tbsp espresso and/or coffee liqueur, see Recipe Notes
- 12 oz dark or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (2 cups, 336g)
- 2 tsp espresso powder, optional (see Recipe Notes)
Procedure
- In a food processor, blend ladyfingers, half the package at a time, until you have fine crumbs. Set aside 2 tablespoons to sprinkle on the truffles later. Transfer the remaining crumbs to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the sugar and whisk until combined.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a hand mixer), add the mascarpone cheese to the bowl and mix until fully incorporated. Add the espresso and/or liqueur one tablespoon at a time until the texture is like a soft cookie dough. Transfer the mixture to a sealed container and chill for 45 minutes (or overnight).
- Line a half sheet baking pan with Silpat or parchment paper. Remove the mixture from the fridge. Using a small cookie scoop, shape the mixture into 36 (1-inch) balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Freeze for 10 minutes.
- Melt and temper the chocolate and stir in the espresso powder (if using). Dip a cold tiramisu truffle into the melted chocolate using a dipping tool and transfer it back to the baking sheet. Sprinkle the truffle with the crushed lady fingers you set aside earlier. Repeat for the remaining truffles.
- Place the baking sheet in the fridge for 15 minutes to allow the chocolate to harden.
- Store tiramisu truffles in an airtight container in the fridge. Truffles last about a week and should be refrigerated. Bring them to room temperature before serving.
Recipe Notes
These were so yummy, and the presentation was just beautiful!
I’m not usually a big fan of tiramisu, but these truffles were delicious!! Had some issues tempering the chocolate but once I figured that out, everything went smoothly, I definitely want to make these again!
These were delicious, even worth the hassle of tempering the chocolate!
I'm so glad you liked them! 🙂