This Mixed Berry Tiramisu is bursting with four kinds of berries in a light and fluffy take on tiramisu!
If you could afford one of the following, what would you choose?
A) a maid
B) a chef
C) a nanny
D) a driver
E) a personal trainer
Personally, of the following I’d want a chef, because despite this blog, I am incredibly lazy with cooking. I love baking, but since I live alone, I don’t really need to be whipping up four-course meals on the reg. So that usually means I spend most nights eating boxed mac & cheese or frozen chicken pot pies. (I also eat those because I am poor, so there’s that factor).
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I think a chef would force me to eat healthier, because I sure as hell am not paying a chef to make me Kraft macaroni and cheese for dinner. I would want my chef to make me things I always see healthy people eating, like salmon or hemp seeds, because those sound important and healthy.
You may be like, “salmon? That’s not that big of a deal.” But it is because I have a long history with fish and a track record of fainting in their presence. So making salmon is a big deal because I have never successfully made salmon without falling on my face. I once tried to make salmon to impress a boyfriend but I ended up fainting in my kitchen instead. We dated for almost 2 years, so I guess it wasn’t a total bust.
And the other time was when we went to a fish hatchery in third grade, because for some reason those places exist. My class went to look at salmon or trout or who the hell knows, a fish is a fish is a fish, right? At least to me. It’s not like I need to identify fish in a police line-up so I don’t really care. The point WAS, we were at a place surrounded by fish. You could feed fish, you could pet fish, you could see inside of fish, which is what happened to me.
It was a sweltering day and we went inside with my friend and our chaperone where a woman was doing a demonstration about what a fish looks like on the inside. The combination of the smell and the innards and the heat was a lethal combination and I ended up fainting right then and there. When I came to, I was sitting on a step outside still surrounded by fish which someone should have realized that was the initial problem and gotten me the hell out of there. But NO. I had to sit in the heat surrounded by dumbass fish for the next several hours.
To this day I can eat fish in restaurants and such, probably because they have adequate ventilation and I don’t have to actually touch said fish. But making it at home? Unless it’s covered in breading and called a “stick” I can’t prepare it. So yes, having a chef would be awesome because he/she could prepare me fish, which I know are a lot healthier than neon orange noodles with powdered cheese.
And then I could make my chef this Mixed Berry Tiramisu for dessert as a thank you for manhandling salmon for me. Xoxo.
This tiramisu is really unlike any other I’ve had because it’s made with two different components: berries, and… Twinkies. You can take the girl out of the snack food aisle, but you can’t take the snack food aisle out of the girl, or something like that.
To be honest, Twinkies are a jillion times better than ladyfingers because I am not a cannibal and also because ladyfingers are HELLA expensive in my neighborhood. You get like 12 for $6 and I am already eating frozen pot pies for dinner so I’m not about to blow my budget on some stale cookies. If you prefer ladyfingers, you may absolutely use them in this recipe. You clearly have more money than I do. Congrats.
OTHERWISE, use the Twinkies, dude. They are fluffier, provide a wonderful vanilla deliciousness and their cream filling is surprisingly perfect in this tiramisu. It’s drizzled with Chambord and topped with a raspberry jam/cream cheese/whipped cream mixture that’s SO fabulous. Topped with a boatload of fresh berries, it’s the perfect springtime treat!
*idea adapted from here
- 1 box (10 count) Twinkies, split in half lengthwise (if you prefer, you may use ladyfingers. I believe you'd need about 20, as ladyfingers are thinner than Twinkies are)
- 4 Tbsp Chambord or another raspberry liqueur
- 1 & ½ cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup powdered sugar, divided
- One 8-ounce pkg cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup raspberry jam/preserves (I used seedless)
- 4 cups assorted chopped berries (I used diced strawberries, halved blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries)
- Line an 8x8" or 9x9" square baking pan with foil, extending the sides of the foil over the edges of the pan. Mist the foil lightly with cooking spray. Lay out 10 Twinkie halves (cream side up) onto the bottom of the pan. Drizzle evenly with 2 Tbsp of the raspberry liqueur. Set aside briefly.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the heavy cream and ½ cup of the powdered sugar together on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5-7 minutes. While the heavy cream whips, beat the cream cheese, remaining powdered sugar and vanilla extract with an electric mixer in a medium bowl. Fold in the raspberry preserves and the whipped cream until combined and smooth.
- Spread half of the whipped cream mixture over the Twinkie layer; top with 2 cups of assorted chopped berries. Top with the remaining Twinkie halves, cream side up, and drizzle them with the remaining raspberry liqueur. Top with the remaining whipped cream mixture, smoothing it out evenly, followed by the remaining 2 cups of assorted chopped berries.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until set and flavors have combined. Keep covered in the fridge up to 2 days.
The raspberry liqueur-soaked Twinkies topped with that light & fluffy raspberry whipped cream cheese mixture is amazing on its own… but throw in 4 cups of assorted fresh berries and you get the most outrageous and delicious tiramisu ever!
Have a super sweet day!
xo, Hayley
cakeSpy says
I never would have thought to have put fruit in tiramisu. (really!) This looks lovely!
slope says
This looks amazing! I will definately give it a try!
I hope I will manage as I am not a great cook!
Rusticdesigndesserts says
I usually substitute Sara Lee pound cake for lady fingers… sliced the long way… I get four slices and it works pretty well in traditional tiramisu recipes.