By Christmas blessing naming all: Mama, Reverend James, Joy, Will, the readers, the community, the chain unbroken, the cooking continuing. The week was the life. The life was the cooking. The cooking was the love. And the love was the week, and the week was one of the weeks that stack together to become the years, and the years become the life, and the life is the woman at the stove who cooks and writes and loves and does not stop.
I made she-crab soup on Sunday — the anchor, the constant, the practice. The soup was perfect. The perfection was the practice. And the practice continues, one Sunday at a time, one bowl at a time, one life at a time, the woman stirring, the roux thickening, the kitchen warm, the family fed, the love alive.
The soup anchors Sunday, but something sweet closes it — and during the Christmas season, when I am naming everyone I love and feeling the full weight of the chain that holds us all together, this Eggnog Tiramisu Trifle is the thing I bring to the table after the bowls are cleared. It is layered, like the years. It is rich, like the love. And it asks you to slow down and share it, which is exactly what a Sunday in December is supposed to do.
Eggnog Tiramisu Trifle
Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 4 hours 25 minutes (includes chilling) | Servings: 10
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups eggnog
- 2 tablespoons dark rum (or 1 teaspoon rum extract for non-alcoholic)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 24 ladyfinger cookies (savoiardi)
- 16 oz mascarpone cheese, softened
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup strong brewed coffee or espresso, cooled
- Cocoa powder, for dusting
- Cinnamon sticks and fresh holly, for optional garnish
Instructions
- Make the eggnog dip. In a shallow bowl, whisk together 1 cup of the eggnog, the rum, and vanilla extract. Stir in the cooled coffee. Set aside.
- Prepare the mascarpone cream. In a large bowl, beat the mascarpone with the remaining 1/2 cup eggnog until smooth. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream and powdered sugar to stiff peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture gently. Stir in the nutmeg and cinnamon.
- Dip the ladyfingers. Working quickly, dip each ladyfinger into the eggnog mixture for 2–3 seconds per side — just enough to moisten without sogging. Do not soak.
- Build the first layer. Arrange a single layer of dipped ladyfingers across the bottom of a large trifle dish or deep glass bowl, breaking pieces as needed to fill gaps.
- Add the cream layer. Spread half of the mascarpone cream evenly over the ladyfingers. Dust lightly with cocoa powder and a pinch of nutmeg.
- Repeat the layers. Add a second layer of dipped ladyfingers, then spread the remaining mascarpone cream on top.
- Finish and chill. Dust the top generously with cocoa powder and freshly grated nutmeg. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight, to allow the layers to set and the flavors to meld.
- Garnish and serve. Just before serving, add cinnamon sticks or a dusting of cinnamon to the top. Scoop into bowls, making sure each serving gets all the layers.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 390 | Protein: 6g | Fat: 27g | Carbs: 31g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 115mg