The Sweet Wine You Should Be Adding To Tiramisu

There are so many variations of tiramisu — the classic Italian dessert consisting of layers of espresso-soaked ladyfingers slathered in a smooth, creamy mascarpone mixture — that it's hard to narrow down an original, traditional, or authentic recipe. The variations of a tiramisu are as different as the person who makes them. Some versions are made with raw egg yolks, some with both egg yolks and whites, some with cooked egg yolks, and there are even shortcut recipes with no eggs at all. 

Some versions call for only espresso, others use strictly amaretto to flavor the espresso dipping liquid, while particularly saucy adaptations include rum for a boozier, more intense flavoring. Other recipes even veer far from the basics, like in this Japanese-inspired matcha strawberry tiramisu. A less booze-forward option that will still pack a flavor punch is to use Marsala wine, which has a lower alcohol content than spirits like rum or even amaretto, to enhance the coffee dip.

There are plenty of mistakes you're making with tiramisu, but we promise that adding sweet Marsala wine to the dessert won't be one of them. Marsala is a fortified wine from Sicily, available in both dry and sweet versions. While dry Marsala is ideal for savory dishes like creamy chicken Marsala, you should use a sweeter version when adding it to your tiramisu. Sweet Marsala wine is common in dessert applications, like zabaglione, a boozy Italian custard.

Marsala wine's tasting notes include sweet, earthy flavors like vanilla bean, stewed fruits, and brown sugar, and these provide a lovely contrast to the strong, bitter taste of the espresso used for dipping the ladyfingers. The flavors of sweet Marsala wine also perfectly complement the vanilla that's sometimes used in the whipped mascarpone mixture, as well as the dusting of cocoa powder that finishes the top of the set dessert. While some recipes include Marsala wine in the egg yolk, sugar, mascarpone, and whipped cream mixture, we recommend only adding the sweet wine to the espresso dipping solution to really let the flavors of the rich mascarpone cheese shine in the cream portion of the dessert. 

Using our classic tiramisu recipe, add about 2 to 3 tablespoons of sweet Marsala wine to the cooled strong coffee or espresso before dipping the ladyfingers in the mixture. It may be tempting to dig into the silky dessert right away, but it's essential to let the tiramisu chill in the refrigerator for at least four hours, and ideally overnight, to simultaneously allow the mascarpone cream to firm up and the ladyfingers to soften. Make sure to know the best way to store tiramisu and how long it lasts so you can enjoy the sweet, creamy dessert for as long as possible.