Chocolate Tiramisu

Here is a delicious dessert that is quite sublime.  It is the Italian classic, Tiramisu with a twist; chocolate. The traditional Tiramisu is layers of marcapone cheese mixed with eggs, lady fingers dipped in espresso, maybe some whipped cream, and liberal sprinklings of chocolate shavings.

This recipe, obtained from the June volume of Bon Appetit magazine, is made using a chocolate mousse.  It is absolutely divine with it's varied textures of fluffy mousse, cake like coffee flavored lady fingers, and the creamy marscapone cheese on top. This was a multi-faceted dessert to make but from start to finish, probably only took an hour. They did need to sit in the refrigerator a few hours to set.  

If you are looking for a medium challenge in the kitchen and a dessert to impress your family or guests, this just might be the recipe for you.

P.S.  As there were only three of us for dinner the night I served these, I was easily able to cut this recipe in half, making only 4 portions as opposed to the 8 the recipe below makes.

Chocolate Tiramisu
Espresso Syrup

1 1/2 cups espresso or strong coffee
1/4 cup sugar

Tiramisu

1 3/4 cups mascarpone cheese, divided
2 Tbsp. plus 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. unflavored gelatin
4 large egg yolks
1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream, divided
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped, plus more for shaving
About 48 soft ladyfingers

Preparation

Espresso Syrup
Stir espresso and sugar in a small bowl until sugar dissolves; set aside.

Tiramisu
Combine 1 cup mascarpone, 2 Tbsp. sugar, and vanilla in a small bowl and whisk to blend; cover and chill.

Place 1 Tbsp. water in a small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over. Let stand until gelatin softens, 10-15 minutes. Whisk the remaining sugar, yolks, 1/4 cup cream, and 1/4 cup water in a medium metal bowl to blend. Place bowl over a large saucepan of boiling water (do not let bottom of bowl touch water) and whisk constantly until custard thickens and temperature reaches 160° on an instant-read thermometer, 3-4 minutes. Remove bowl; add gelatin mixture and whisk until dissolved, 15-20 seconds. Return bowl over water, add chocolate, and whisk until almost melted, about 30 seconds.

Set bowl in a large bowl of ice water and whisk until chocolate is melted and custard is cool, 5-6 minutes. Whisk in the remaining mascarpone. In another medium bowl, beat remaining 3/4 cup chilled cream until firm peaks form. Fold cream into custard in 2 additions to make a chocolate mousse.

Spread 1/4 cup chocolate mousse in bottom of each of eight 1-cup teacups or ramekins. Dunk ladyfingers in the espresso syrup and arrange in a single layer on top of the mousse, about 2 to 3 ladyfingers per cup. Repeat layering with chocolate mousse and soaked ladyfingers. Spread 2 Tbsp. mascarpone topping over ladyfingers. Garnish with chocolate shavings and serve.