Lemon Blueberry Tiramisu

Incorporate two of the most iconic flavors of summer into this classic Italian dessert. Light, airy, and refreshing are just a few words to describe this beautiful collision of flavors! 

Tiramisu. The word alone makes me salivate with excitement!

I’ve always been a huge fan of desserts that consist of layers. Whether it’s a chocolate trifle, the rich, yet painstakingly involved, Baklava, or those sweet 7-layer bars. However, there’s something about Tiramisu that just makes it irresistible.

Is it the creamy mascarpone filling?

Is it the light and pillowy ladyfingers?

Or is it just the sweet melding of flavors and textures that come together in perfect harmony?

Whatever it is, it’s AMAZING! So I decided to create a spin on the Italian classic by incorporating my favorite summertime duo into those wonderful layers.

Behold the Lemon Blueberry Tiramisu!

Not to toot my own horn or anything, but man was this a good idea! First, you have those wonderful light-as-air ladyfingers soaked with a homemade blueberry syrup. Then you have that beautifully tart, yet smooth layer of lemon curd. And finally, there’s the sweet, yet not overly sweet, and creamy texture of the white chocolate mascarpone filling. Yes, I said WHITE CHOCOLATE. I couldn’t stop myself!

Lemon and blueberry go together like Paula Deen and butter! You can’t go wrong when you combine these two flavors. You just can’t! And when white chocolate joins the party…whoa, man! Whoa!

You don’t even have to be a fan of Tiramisu to love this recipe. It may have a lot of the elements of Tiramisu, but there’s definitely a difference in flavors. Instead of coffee and chocolate, you have lemon and blueberry!

While there are several elements involved in preparing this recipe, it’s worth it! BELIEVE ME! My mouth almost melted off my face when I took my first bite.

Seriously.

Luckily, you’ll have my handy dandy step-by-step photos to follow if you’re feeling a little intimated by the workload, so don’t fret! We can do this together!

GO!

Ok, so first we’re going to start with the lemon curd. I went with a recipe by America’s Test Kitchen because you can never go wrong with any of their recipes. They use science, people!

Whisk together 7 large egg yolks, 2 whole eggs, and 1 cup + 2 tablespoons of sugar in a medium saucepan. Stir in 2/3 cup of lemon juice, ¼ cup of lemon zest and 1/8 teaspoon of salt. Place the pan on the stove over medium-low heat.

Add 4 tablespoons of butter (cut into ½ inch pieces) stirring constantly, until the curd thickens, about 5 minutes.

Immediately strain the curd through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium-size bowl, and stir in 3 tablespoons of heavy cream.

Cover with plastic wrap. To prevent a skin from forming, make sure the plastic wrap is touching the entire surface of the curd. Place in the refrigerator until cooled completely.

Next component: the blueberry syrup! Place 2 ½ cups of blueberries (mine were frozen) and ½ cup water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Using a potato masher or a fork (I didn’t have a potato masher), crush the berries. Bring the berries to a boil, then lower temperature to medium-low and simmer for about 10 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 berry solids to squeeze out as much juice as possible. Discard solids. I ended up with just under 1 cup of juice.

Return the blueberry juices to the pan, then add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice (fresh or concentrate is fine) and ½ cup sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes until mixture thickens slightly. I ended up measuring a little over 1 cup.

Remove from heat and chill in refrigerator to cool completely.

Last component: the mascarpone filling! Microwave 1 cup of white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl until smooth. Set aside.Whip 1 cup of heavy cream in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer until soft peaks form. Set aside.

Cream two 8-oz packages of mascarpone cheese in a stand mixer. Add melted chocolate and mix until combined. Fold in ¼ of the whipped cream into the mixture until combined. Add the remaining whipped cream and fold–try not to overmix!

Now it’s time to assemble! Place one layer of ladyfingers on the bottom of a 9×13 inch rectangular dish. The ladyfingers I used had more of a sponge cake texture as oppose to the traditional ladyfingers which have a crispier texture. However, either one would work just fine!

Using a spoon or a pastry brush, drizzle the blueberry syrup over the ladyfingers. I ended up using about ¼ cup of the syrup. If you’re using the traditional crispier kind, I would advise dipping each one into the syrup, then placing it in the dish.

Spread half of the lemon curd on top of the blueberry syrup-soaked ladyfingers.

Follow with half of the mascarpone filling.

Repeat the sequence one more time, and top with a sprinkle of lemon zest. Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight before slicing up and serving. 

*Note: If you end up with leftover blueberry syrup like I did, don’t throw it out! Pour that sweet stuff on pancakes, waffles, cheesecake, ice cream, or use it as a syrup for some sweet summertime drinks!

Delicious Blueberry Syrup…meet Vodka 😉

Lemon Blueberry Tiramisu

Incorporate two of the most iconic flavors of summer into this classic Italian dessert. Light, airy, and refreshing are just a few words to describe this beautiful collision of flavors!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Refrigeration Time 4 hours hrs

Total Time 5 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings 20 Servings

Ingredients

  

For the Lemon Curd

• 7 large egg yolks
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
• ⅔ cup fresh lemon juice
• ¼ cup lemon zest plus a little extra for garnish
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter cut in 1/2 inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream

For the Blueberry Syrup

• 2 ½ cups blueberries, washed
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

For the Mascarpone Filling

• 16 ounces mascarpone cheese
• 1 cup white chocolate*
• 1 cup heavy cream

To Assemble

• 8 ounces ladyfingers or sliced sponge cake

Instructions

 

Lemon Curd

• In a medium saucepan, whisk the egg yolks, whole eggs and sugar together until just combined. Whisk in the lemon juice, zest and salt.
• Add the butter and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the curd thickens to a thin sauce-like consistency, about 5 minutes.
• Immediately strain the curd through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium-size bowl and stir in the cream. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to cool completely.

Blueberry Syrup

• Place blueberries and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Using a potato masher or a fork (I didn’t have a potato masher), crush the berries. Bring the berries to a boil, then lower temperature to medium-low and simmer for about 10 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 berry solids to squeeze out as much juice as possible. Discard solids.
• Return blueberry juices to the pan, then add lemon juice and sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes until mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat and chill in refrigerator to cool completely.

Mascarpone Filling

• Microwave white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl until smooth. Set aside. Whip heavy cream in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer until soft peaks form. Set aside.
• Cream mascarpone cheese in a stand mixer for about one minute. Add melted chocolate and mix until combined. Fold ¼ of the whipped cream into the mixture. Add the remaining whipped cream and fold–try not to overmix!

Assemble

• Place one layer of ladyfingers on the bottom of a 9x13-inch rectangular dish.
• Using a spoon or pastry brush, drizzle the blueberry syrup over the ladyfingers until every ladyfinger is covered in the syrup. Note: If you’re using the traditional crispier ladyfingers, I would advise dipping each one into the syrup, then placing it in the dish.
• Spread half of the lemon curd on top of the blueberry syrup-soaked ladyfingers. Then follow with half of the mascarpone filling.
• Repeat the sequence one more time with remaining ingredients, and garnish with a sprinkle of fresh lemon zest. Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

* If using white chocolate chips, you may need to add about 1/2 teaspoon of vegetable oil to the chips when microwaving since white chocolate chips don't melt as easily as dark or milk chocolate chips.
If you end up with leftover blueberry syrup like I did, don’t throw it out! Pour that sweet stuff on pancakes, waffles, cheesecake, ice cream, or mix it into a drink!