Luscious Lemon Tiramisu Recipe With Fresh Lemon Curd: Too Beautiful to Eat? by Katie Smith

Tiramisu is a coffee-flavored Italian dessert that's made with ladyfingers that are dipped in coffee then layered with a sweet mascarpone filling. While I love the traditional tiramisu, I wanted something lemony and refreshing, so I was happy to discover a lemon tiramisu recipe. Not only is the Italian dessert beautiful, but tastes amazing.

The lemony tiramisu recipe starts by making a homemade lemon curd with egg yolks, whole eggs, salt, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice (always use fresh!) and butter. The lemon curd cooks up quickly on the stovetop and then is cooled before using. A simple lemon syrup is prepared next with water, sugar, lemon peel, limoncello and basil (the basil is optional). Lastly, a lemon filling is whipped up with heavy whipping cream, some of the prepared lemon curd and mascarpone cheese.

Assembly is easy and fun. Dip the ladyfingers into the lemon syrup and place on the bottom of your baking dish. Top with half of the lemon filling and then add another layer of both. Refrigerate for about eight hours then top with the remaining lemon curd. You could use store-bought lemon curd for this recipe if you want to skip that step. You need about 2 1/2 to 3 cups of lemon curd for the recipe.

Serve this beautiful lemony tiramisu for dessert at your next get-together. You will impress your friends and family, but remind them that it's not too pretty to eat.

Cuisine: Italian / American
Prep Time: 45 minutes plus time to chill 
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes plus time to chill 
Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 2 packages (7 ounces each) ladyfingers

Lemon Curd

• 4 large egg yolks
• 4 large eggs
• large pinch of salt
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 lemons, zested
• 2/3 cup lemon juice (about 2 to 3 lemons)
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

Lemon Syrup 

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 sprig basil (optional)
• 1/4 cup limoncello 

Lemon Filling

• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream 
• 1 1/2 cups lemon curd (about half of the prepared lemon curd)
• 1 pound mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

Here's how to make it: 

1. To make the lemon curd, combine the egg yolks, whole eggs, salt, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice in a saucepot. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly. Once it comes to a gentle boil, cook about 1 minute or until thickened. Pour the curd into a bowl and add the butter. Stir until melted and smooth. Cover and refrigerate until cold. 
2. To make the lemon syrup, combine the water, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and basil, if using, in a saucepot. Bring to a simmer, turn off the heat and let it cool. When cool, strain out the lemon zest. Stir in the limoncello. Set aside. 
3. To make the lemon filling, whip the heavy whipping cream to stiff peaks using an electric mixer. In another bowl, stir together half of the cooled lemon curd and the mascarpone. Stir until smooth and well combined. Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture.
4. To assemble the tiramisu, dip the ladyfingers into the lemon syrup and place them in a row in a 11x8-inch baking dish until bottom is covered. Top with half of the filling. Continue dipping the ladyfingers into the lemon syrup and add another layer. Add the remaining filling. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
5. When ready to serve, spread the top of the tiramisu with the remaining lemon curd. Decorate with fresh lemon slices. 

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