Move over Pumpkin Pie there’s a new holiday dessert in town.This Pumpkin Spice Latte Tiramisu is your favorite fall coffee, dessert & after dinner drink rolled into one!
There’s a lot to love about Tiramisu, one of the most popular Italian desserts of all-time. There’s the rich creamy rich mascarpone custard with espresso coffee soaked spongy cookies, just a hint of cocoa for that chocolatey goodness and what’s not to like about a dessert that’s spiked with liqueur. It really feels like coffee, dessert & an after dinner drink all rolled into one! It’s quite the treat and a special occasion dessert for sure.
Now, I’m not an everyday coffee drinker. It’s not part of my morning wake up routine. But, I enjoy a mid day cuppa once in a while and thoroughly enjoy meeting friends and having a good visit over coffee. So when I do drink coffee, not just any regular ol’ cup of Joe will do. I want the good stuff! I like the ritual of it and almost always offer guests some coffee when they come over, I love the smell that fills the house… it’s like a warm welcome to stay and chat longer. So I recently got a Nespresso machine & milk frother to up my coffee game and offer up a good bold espresso and also change it up by making Americanos, Cappuccinos & Lattes at home. I use Gourmesso coffee capsules which offer up a wide variety of flavors and espresso blends at a much cheaper price than the Nespresso pods. They are compatible with the standard Nespresso machines and taste just the same if not better than the brand capsules.
Inspired by this Pumpkin Tiramisu from Food & Wine and keeping the upcoming holidays in mind I decided to put a Pumpkin Spice Latte spin on the classic Tiramisu. The PSL as it’s fondly known in the big coffee chains around the country, is my favorite fall drink. I have really been embracing the Pumpkin Spice season as the years go by and am slowly discovering more and more pumpkin desserts that I love too. For example, these Instant Pot Pumpkin Spice Crème Brûlée’s I made a few weeks back, I know I’ll be making them for years to come. They are quick and easy and the perfect portioned treat for the Fall evening at home. But for a little bigger crowd, say for Thanksgiving or Christmas, I wanted to try my hand at a fancier and less heavy dessert than the traditionally served Pumpkin Pie (which I am not a fan of). And so this Pumpkin Spice Latte Tiramisu came to mind.
There are thousands of different classic Tiramisu recipes out there, ones that cook the eggs, ones that don’t, ones that make a custard with milk and ones that fold in whipped cream. I personally like to use a double boiler to help the sugar dissolve in the yolks better, it also thickens up better making for a more silky custard base. The mascarpone cheese is standard but what makes the Pumpkin version special is some pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice. Dip the lady with good quality espresso (I used 4 pods of Gourmesso’s “Colombia Arabica Mezzo”) and spike it with Bailey’s Irish Cream instead of the preferred Kahlua for the Latte effect plus more pumpkin spice for good measure and voila you have a gorgeous Pumpkin Spice Latte Tiramisu! It even has the whipped cream topping like the drink.
I think I’ve found my new favorite dessert for Thanksgiving. It’s light and creamy and the coffee + liqueur is just the pick me up you’d need after a big heavy festive meal. Try it out and I think you’ll agree with me. Here’s how you can make it:
Watch the Video of this recipe:
- * 1 (12oz) box of Lady Finger Cookies
- * 5 Egg Yolks
- * 1/2 cup Sugar
- * 8oz Mascarpone Cheese
- * 3/4 cup Pumpkin Puree
- * 1/2 + 1/2 tsp Pumpkin Spice
- * 1 tsp Vanilla Extract/Vanilla Bean Paste
- * 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- * 4 Gourmesso Espresso Pods
- * 1-2 Shots Baileys/ Kahlua (Coffee Liqueur)- optional
- * 2 Tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa powder
- * 1/4 cup chocolate shavings (optional garnish)
- - Create a double boiler: Bring about a cup of water to a boil in a sauce pan and place a heat proof bowl over it making sure the water doesn't touch the bowl.
- - Add the sugar and egg yolks to the bowl and whisk over the double boiler for 8-10 minutes continuously until all the sugar dissolves and the mixture becomes pale yellow, smooth and thick.
- - Once done, set the egg & sugar mixture aside to cool
- - In the meantime, whisk the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
- - To the cooled down egg mixture, add the pumpkin puree, mascarpone cheese, vanilla extract/vanilla bean paste, and 1/2 tsp of pumpkin spice.
- - Mix until smooth
- - Add half the whipped cream (reserve the rest as a topping) and fold it in gently to incorporate it.
- - Line the bottom of a spring form pan with parchment paper, and stand some lady finger cookies along the rim. (You will have to cut a bit off one side of the cookies to create a flat side for them to stand)
- - Prepare 4 cups of espresso (I used "Colombia Arabica Mezzo" Gourmesso pods with a Nespresso machine) and pour it into a dish to cool.
- - Add 1-2 shots of Baileys (Irish Cream) or Kahlua (coffee Liqueur) to the espresso if you want. Also add 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice to the espresso and mix well.
- - Once cooled, dip the lady finger cookies in the espresso mix and lay them in a single layer the bottom of the pan.
- - Spread half the pumpkin cheese mixture over the top of the cookie layer and spread it out evenly.
- - Dust some unsweetened cocoa powder over the mixture.
- - Repeat with another espresso dipped lady finger cookie layer, the remaining pumpkin cheese mixture and spread it evenly over the top. Dust with a light layer of cocoa powder.
- - Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hrs or overnight.
- - Top with the remaining whipped cream and some chocolate shavings (or more cocoa powder)