beginner chef,
If you live near a Trader's Joe, you can get mascarpone and lady fingers. The original Italian recipe calls for liquor with the coffee (ruhm generally) to dip the ladyfingers and in the mascarpone mix (Marsala). The ingredients for 5/6 people are:
3 large eggs separated (whites optional instead of heavy cream)
1/3 cup of sugar
1/4 teaspoon of salt
8 oz of mascarpone
2 cups of strong brewed coffee, room temperature
Dark rhum and Marsala wine
1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream (optional instead of egg's whites)
8 oz (about 20 to 30) ladyfingers
Cocoa
Grated semi-sweet chocolate (optional)
Preparation
Make coffe, mix with 3 tbspoons of rhum and let it chill
Beat egg yolks, add sugar and salt and keep mixing until pale yellow (about 5 min.)
Add mascarpone gradually keeping the mix homogeneus
Add 2 tbspoons of Marsala wine.
In a separate bowl, either beat the cream or the egg whites until holding stiff peaks.
With egg whites, you will have a lighter dish, with cream something tastier.
With rubeer spatula, fold 1/3 of the whipped cream/whites into the mascarpone mix.
Gently fold the rest mixing gantly until no white streaks remain, set mix aside.
Lay one thin layer of mascarpone mix in a rectangular glass or ceramic baking dish.
Sprinkle cocoa and grated chocolate
Pour coffe in a flat bowl and dip ladyfingers one at a time, rolling them in the coffee for not more than 2/3 secs. This is so they don't oversoak and crumble when in the dish.
Cover mascarpone mix in baking dish with one layer of soaked ladyfingers.
Cover with another layer of mascarpone, add cocoa and grated chocolate.
Add a second layer of soaked ladyfingers and a final layer of mascarpone mix.
Chill in fridge for min. 6 hours, dust a final layer of cocoa/chocolate, cut into pieces and serve. Eat and feel the calories getting into your body.