Halal-conscious recipe
Tiramisu without alcohol
Layers of coffee-soaked sponge fingers and a whipped mascarpone cream with grated dark chocolate and cocoa, made with no Marsala.
Each method follows published technique for the dish, and every Halal substitution is checked against the ingredient pages we cite. Photographs come from our ingredient library rather than the finished dish.
Photo: Navneet Sharma · CC BY-SA 4.0
Why Halal checks matter here
Tiramisu is usually made with alcohol: BBC Good Food's version whisks 75 ml of Marsala into the mascarpone cream, and other recipes soak the sponge fingers in rum or coffee liqueur.
Tiramisu is coffee-soaked sponge fingers layered with a sweet mascarpone cream and chocolate, and the Halal question is the alcohol. BBC Good Food's "best ever" version whisks 75 ml of Marsala, a fortified wine, into the cream, and other recipes soak the sponge fingers in rum or coffee liqueur (see tiramisu).
This version simply leaves the Marsala out and puts nothing in its place; the coffee, chocolate and cocoa are unchanged. The mascarpone needs no rennet check: it is cream set with citric acid, not rennet.
Dip the sponge fingers quickly so they soak through without collapsing, and give the dish at least a few hours in the fridge so the layers set.
Halal-critical ingredients
- Marsala The original whisks 75 ml of Marsala, a fortified wine, into the cream. Alcohol is not Halal on this site, cooked or raw. Leave it out, as here. See Tiramisu.
- Rum or coffee liqueur Other tiramisu recipes and restaurant versions soak the sponge fingers in rum or coffee liqueur. Soak them in coffee only, and ask in restaurants. See Tiramisu.
- Mascarpone Most cheese needs a rennet check, but mascarpone is cream set with an acid; the Lidl and Tesco tubs list cream, milk and citric acid. Read the tub for any added ingredients. See Mascarpone.
Safe substitutes
- Marsala → Nothing
- Rum or coffee liqueur → Coffee only
Allergens
milk (cream, mascarpone), egg and gluten (sponge fingers)
Ingredients
Cream
- 400 ml (1⅔ cups) double cream
- 250 g (1 cup) mascarpone
- 5 tbsp golden caster sugar
Layers
- 300 ml (1¼ cups) hot coffee, made with 2 tbsp coffee granules and 300 ml boiling water
- 175 g (6 oz) sponge fingers
- 25 g (1 oz) dark chocolate
- 2 tsp cocoa powder
Method
- Whisk the cream. Put the double cream, mascarpone and sugar in a large bowl (the original adds Marsala here; leave it out) and whisk until combined and as thick as softly whipped cream.
- Soak the sponge fingers. Pour the coffee into a shallow dish. Dip a few sponge fingers at a time, turning them for a few seconds until soaked but not soggy, and lay them in a serving dish until you have used half.
- Layer. Spread half the cream over the sponge fingers and grate over most of the chocolate on the coarse side of a grater. Repeat the layers, using up the coffee, and finish with the cream.
- Chill and serve. Cover and chill for a few hours or overnight; it keeps in the fridge for up to two days. To serve, dust with the cocoa and grate over the rest of the chocolate.
How this recipe was researched
Method adapted from BBC Good Food's 'Best ever tiramisu' (double cream, mascarpone, Marsala and golden caster sugar whisked to a thick cream; sponge fingers dipped in strong coffee and layered with the cream and grated dark chocolate; chilled for a few hours or overnight; finished with cocoa and more chocolate). We left out its 75 ml of Marsala and added nothing in its place. Timings follow the published technique rather than a kitchen test.
Technique and ingredient sources
-
Best ever tiramisu — BBC Good Food
Retrieved:
Serves 6: 400 ml double cream, 250 g mascarpone, 75 ml Marsala, 5 tbsp golden caster sugar, 300 ml coffee, 175 g sponge fingers, 25 g dark chocolate, 2 tsp cocoa; chilled a few hours or overnight. We left out the Marsala.
-
Mascarpone analysis — isithalal.food
Retrieved:
Mascarpone is cream set with citric acid, not rennet.