Blackberry Tiramisu

Blackberry-infused ladyfingers and sweet blackberry mascarpone cream filling are layered together in this summery rendition of a classic Italian dessert!

Lately, I’ve been on a bit of a berry kick. In fact, I think I’ve hit just about every single major berry in the past month or so. Oddly enough, I feel somewhat proud of myself for sticking to berry recipes for so long since it makes me feel like I’m being #healthy. Never mind the fact that these desserts are laden with sugar and butter…

But hey, I never said that this food blog was about eating healthy. No, no, no, no, no…THIS blog is about eating DANGEROUSLY. Well, maybe not dangerously…DECADENTLY is more like it!

And with how popular my Strawberry Tiramisu has been lately, I figured it was time to combine my favorite Italian dessert with yet ANOTHER lusciously juicy berry…

If you thought my Strawberry Tiramisu was exquisite, wait until you try this Blackberry Tiramisu! With layers of blackberry syrup-soaked ladyfingers and fluffy blackberry mascarpone cream filling, this dessert is perfect to enjoy ALL summer long!

This is actually the 7th tiramisu recipe on my blog, and what makes tiramisus so perfect for this time of year is the fact that they’re a no-bake dessert. Yep, that’s right! They don’t require the use of an oven, which is a MAJOR bonus when you’re trying to keep the house cool during those sweltering hot days with no AC.

So how does this blackberry beauty come together?

Well, you’ll start by making up the blackberry syrup. You can either use fresh or frozen blackberries. I used the frozen blackberries that I had flash-frozen from last summer’s picking. You’ll need 4 cups of blackberries, which will go into a medium saucepan along with a half cup of water. The water will prevent the blackberries from sticking and burning in the pan.

As the berries cook, you can either use a potato masher or a fork to mash the berries. After a few minutes of simmering on the stove, you’ll pour the mixture into a fine mesh sieve to remove all of the seeds. Pour the juice back into the pan along with some sugar and lemon juice. Bring this mixture to a boil, then simmer for about 4-5 minutes so that it reduces slightly. The blackberry syrup then needs to chill in the refrigerator until it’s at least room temperature. However, if you want to speed up the cooling process, you can also chill the syrup in the freezer and stir it every 15 minutes until it’s cooled completely.

Once the blackberry syrup has cooled down, you can make the mascarpone filling. Place some heavy cream into the chilled bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and whip until stiff peaks form. Transfer the whipped cream to another bowl and return the bowl to the mixer. Replace the whisk attachment with the paddle attachment, and beat some mascarpone cheese with some sugar, 3/4 cup of the blackberry syrup and a splash of vanilla.

If you’re not familiar with mascarpone cheese, it’s similar to cream cheese but the flavor is much milder and rather velvety in texture. Mascarpone cheese is one of the key ingredients that makes up traditional tiramisu. You can usually find it in the fancy cheese section of your grocery store.

After you fold the freshly-whipped cream into the mascarpone cheese mixture, it’s time to assemble your tiramisu!

One at a time, take your ladyfingers and dip them into the blackberry syrup, then place them side-by-side along the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish. Depending on the size of your ladyfingers, you might have to cut them. I recommend cutting them AFTER they’ve been dipped in the syrup since they soften and become easier to cut without breaking.

To really infuse this dessert with blackberry flavor, I also drizzle about 1-2 Tablespoons of the syrup evenly over the already soaked ladyfingers.

The next layer of business is the blackberry mascarpone filling! Spread half of it evenly over the ladyfingers, then place another layer of syrup-soaked ladyfingers on top. Finally, spread HALF of the remaining filling evenly on top. The second half of the remaining filling goes into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip (or a ziplock bag with the corner cut off), which will then be piped into even rows along the top. This step is totally optional, but it definitely adds an elegant look to your tiramisu.

Once it’s fully assembled, the tiramisu needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours. If you can wait overnight, even better!

To say that this Blackberry Tiramisu was a hit in my household would be an understatement. Every last crumb was licked off the plates and I only managed to save a tiny sliver for myself!

Needless to say, I should’ve definitely doubled the recipe…

Blackberry-infused ladyfingers and sweet blackberry mascarpone cream filling are layered together in this summery rendition of a classic Italian dessert!

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Prep Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Chilling Time 6 hours hrs

Total Time 7 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Ingredients

Blackberry Syrup:

4 cups blackberries, fresh or frozen
½ cup water
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Mascarpone Filling:

1 ½ cup heavy cream
16 ounces mascarpone cheese
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup blackberry syrup (from recipe above)
1 teaspoon vanilla

For Assembly:

1 (7 oz) package Savoiardi ladyfingers (about 24)
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

Make the Blackberry Syrup:

Place blackberries and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Using a potato masher or a fork, crush the berries. Bring the berries to a simmer, then lower temperature to medium-low and simmer for about 2 minutes.
Remove pan from heat and pour berries into a fine-mesh strainer set over a glass measuring cup. Using the back of a ladle or spoon, press on the berries to squeeze out as much juice as possible. Discard seeds.
Return blackberry juices to the pan, then add the sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 4-5 minutes until mixture reduces slightly. Remove from heat and chill in refrigerator to cool completely.*

Make the Filling:

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Transfer whipped cream to a separate bowl, return bowl to the mixer, and replace whisk attachment with paddle attachment.
To the mixer, add the mascarpone cheese, sugar, 3/4 cup of the blackberry syrup, and vanilla. Beat on high until combined. Add about a cup of the whipped cream and continue beating until incorporated. Gently fold in the rest of the whipped cream.

Assemble Tiramisu:

One at a time, dip the ladyfingers in the blackberry syrup until soaked but not soggy; arrange in an even layer along the bottom of an 8-inch square dish.** (Line the ladyfingers up in two straight rows of six.***) Spread half of the the mascarpone filling on top of the ladyfingers. Place another layer of blackberry syrup-soaked ladyfingers on top of the filling.
Spread half of the remaining filling on top of the ladyfingers. Transfer remaining filling to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip (or a gallon ziplock bag with the corner cut off), and pipe the filling evenly over the tiramisu.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

Notes

*You should end up with about 2 cups blackberry syrup.

**Since there will be a little leftover syrup, you can sprinkle 1-2 Tablespoons extra syrup on top of the already-soaked ladyfingers to infuse them with more of that wonderful blackberry syrup.

***Depending on the size of your ladyfingers, you might have to cut them. I suggest cutting them AFTER they’ve been dipped in the syrup since they soften and become easier to cut without breaking.

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