Chai Tiramisu Cups – no eggs

These are Tiramisu cups with a Chai twist. The ladyfinger biscuits are dipped in Chai and soak up all that flavour. They are super tasty, easy to eat, and you get a cup all to yourself!

Tiramisu is a classic Italian dessert, known for its coffee and cream flavour. Italian ladyfinger biscuits are dipped in coffee and layered between a rich mascarpone cream. Tiramisu is often lightly dusted with cocoa powder and served after it’s had a couple of hours in the fridge.

The biggest differences between these Chai Tiramisu Cups and the classic Tiramisu are that this dessert dips the ladyfinger biscuits in (milk less) Chai and there is no egg. I made this dessert with my mother in mind, and she strongly dislikes the taste of egg. She seems to have an uncanny knack for tasting egg, even in baked cakes!

These Chai Tiramisu Cups aren’t traditional, they’re a fusion blending some traditional flavours with some spice. They’re perfect to serve at a party or for a smaller group of guests. It’s easier to serve when the dessert is already in a perfect serving for one!

Ingredients

Chai

2 tbl black tea

1 tsp ground ginger

3 green cardamom pods, crushed

2 cloves

1 inch Cinnamon stick, crushed

1 star Anise, crushed

1 tsp raw sugar

1 cup Water

Tiramisu

12 Italian Ladyfinger biscuits, Savoiardi, broken into thirds

500g Mascarpone Cheese

½ Cup Thickened Cream (whipping cream)

¾ Cup Icing Sugar (powdered sugar)

½ tsp Cinnamon

¼ tsp cardamom

¾ cup cooled chai

Garnish

Dark chocolate

Cacao Powder

Method

1. In a small saucepan on medium/ heat add all the chai ingredients.
2. Bring the chai to a boil and then simmer on low/medium for 5 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and let it steep for 10 minutes.
4. Strain into a medium bowl through a fine mesh strainer and let it cool to room temperature.
5. Using a whisk, mix the mascarpone and powdered sugar slowly until creamy. This takes about 1 minute.
6. Then add the thickened cream and whisk until stiff peaks form. I find it takes about a minute if I use an electronic whisk.
7. Dip three pieces of the ladyfingers (each of the biscuits are already broken into three. So this is really 1 biscuit, broken into 3 pieces) into the chai. You want 1-2 seconds on each side, any more time and they will get soggy.
8. Then place at the bottom of the glass in 1 layer.
9. Top with 2 heaped tablespoons of the mascarpone mix and use a spoon to even this layer a bit.
10. Repeat the previous 2 steps 2 – 3 times depending on the height of your glass.
11. Cover all the glasses with clingwrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
12. When ready to serve, dust the top with cocoa powder and add some grated dark chocolate. You can even add some chai syrup for a bit of a kick!