Dairy Free Tiramisu

Tomorrow is my dad's birthday and in honor of the big day - I'm sharing one of the recipes that I make for him on special occasion.  We share a love of tiramisu but several years ago he converted to a diet free of lactose and for a long time we assumed that tiramisu was an indulgence he'd no longer be able to enjoy.😔  Unwilling to accept his tiramisu-less fate - I set my sights on finding a way to make a delicious lactose free version.  

Making a dairy free tiramisu that was safe for my dad to eat was no easy task.  It took several attempts to get it "right."  I tried all kinds of things to replace the mascarpone cheese - the creamy ingredient that makes up that custard-like filling in traditional tiramisu.  Turns out, cream of coconut was the best alternative to mascarpone in tiramisu.  It beats up creamy and fluffy and sets up firm when refrigerated so your tiramisu is light and fluffy but also sliceable.  

My pro tip:  Refrigerate the can of cream of coconut overnight.  This will separate the solids from the liquid.  When you open the can, scoop out only the solid portion of the cream or the mixture will be too watery.  

Dairy Free Tiramisu
6 egg yolks
¼ cup sugar
1 ½ cans coconut cream, solid cream only 
½ teaspoon vanilla 
2 cups strong espresso, cooled, divided
4 teaspoons kahlua
24 packaged ladyfingers 
½ cup dark chocolate shavings

Heat egg yolks in a double boiler to 149. 

Whisk with sugar until thick.  

Whisk in coconut cream, vanilla and 1 T. espresso.  Do not overwhip.  

Pour the remaining espresso and kahlua into a shallow dish.

Dip each lady finger into the mixture for only 5 seconds, coat all sides.

Place the soaked lady finger on the bottom of an 8 by 8 inch baking dish.

Layer half of the coconut cream across the top of the soaked ladyfingers. 

Add another layer of soaked ladyfingers. 

Top with remaining cream.

Cover top with a layer of cocoa powder.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours to allow to set.

                                    Happy Birthday Dad!!
Ciao!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe