Oh hi there! Yes, I realize that it happens to be Valentine's Day. Also, yes, I realize that perhaps tiramisu is a romantic dessert. Ha! That is pure coincidence, and not clever planning on my part....although maybe I should have just pretended that I was incredibly on top of things.

Anywho.....I love making desserts mini. Mostly due to the fact that I get to eat the entire thing, and not feel as guilty (or as sick) as when I do this with an entire dessert. (Pull-apart bread I'm looking at you....*side-eye). They get bonus points for being so darn cute too!

Ironically, I accidentally bought GIANT lady fingers for this post. Instead of normal sized lady fingers. Or even mini lady fingers (not sure if this even exists?). So ya, maybe a little bit of a fail on that part....but they were hilarious to work with!

Fact of the matter is: it doesn't matter what kind of lady fingers you buy. More importantly, there is baileys in here....huzzah! My sister Jordyn helped me put these together, and photographed the shots I'm in. Yay for a human tripod! It's a lot easier to nail that focus when you're not using a self-timer.

Moving on. Make these for your Valentine. Make these for your family. Make these for yourself.

mini tiramisu with baileys

recipe adapted from: Olive Magazine
yields: 6-8 servings (depending on the size of your mini serving dishes) - alternatively, make one large tiramisu using a 20cm serving dish

ingredients:

2 cups whipping cream

250 grams mascarpone

1 tsp vanilla

3 tablespoons sugar

3 1/2 tablespoons Baileys Irish Cream (optional)

1 cup very strong coffee or espresso

1/2 tsp almond extract (or 2 tablespoons of amaretto)

175 grams lady fingers (also called sponge fingers)

2-3 tablespoons of cocoa powder for dusting on top

directions:

In a large bowl, whip together whipping cream, mascarpone, vanilla, baileys, and sugar until soft peaks form. Careful not to overmix this, as the cheese may separate a bit. Carefully spoon into a large piping bag, and use a round nozzle, or simply cut the tip of the bag off to pipe. (*It's always to start small when cutting the bag, and adjust if necessary)

Mix together coffee and almond extract (or amaretto) in a small bowl.

Dip each lady finger into the coffee mixture and quickly remove. You don't want them to start falling apart, so don't linger in the coffee too long. Line your serving dish with lady fingers, then pipe whipped cream mixture on top, and repeat.

For the top layer, pipe small circles. Chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours before serving. Use a small sieve to dust with cocoa powder just before serving.