Berry Tiramisu

It took me a while to get on the coffee bandwagon but now I love it, and this is a great coffee and chocolate based desert. Lets be honest chocolate and coffee go really well together, so this is the perfect dinner party desert, especially since it requires no cooking and can wait in the fridge while you enjoy dinner.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (125ml) freshly brewed espresso, at room temperature (I used instant expresso powder to make a 1/2 cup of coffee)
3 - 4 tablespoons Kahlua
2 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
pinch of salt
7 tablespoons (90g) sugar, divided
1 cup (250g) mascarpone
twelve 3 1/2 -inch ladyfingers (70g, or 3 ounces)
30g grated bittersweet chocolate
unsweetened cocoa powder, for serving (option 1)
punnet of raspberries (option 2)
punnet of blueberries (option 2)

Method:

1. Mix together the espresso and Kahlua. The mixture should taste strongly of alcohol. If not, add more until it does. (That flavor will tone down when mixed with the other ingredients, but feel free to adjust to taste.)
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, or by hand, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they begin to get stiff. Beat in half of the sugar until stiff. Scrape the egg whites into a small bowl.
3. In the same bowl, beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until stiff and light-colored, about three minutes. (If using a standing electric mixer, you may need to stop and scrape down the sides.) By hand, beat in the mascarpone with a spatula or whisk, until lump-free.
4. Fold in half of the beaten egg whites, then the remaining half, just until fully incorporated.
5. Put a splat, a heaping soup spoon, of the mascarpone cream into each vessel.
6. Break each ladyfinger in half and then submerge it in the espresso mixture for 5-10 seconds, until completely, utterly soaked. (Dried ladyfingers will take longer to saturate than softer ones.) Be careful not to soak it for too long as they tend to get really musshy! Then layer them over the mascarpone cream in each vessel.
7. Grate a generous amount of chocolate over each.
8. Repeat steps 5, 6 and 7 as many times as you like for extra layers.
9. Top with remaining mascarpone cream.
10. If you want berries, arrange them on top now.
11. Cover, and refrigerate at least four hours, but preferably overnight.
12. If you are going the traditional Tiramisu route, right before serving, shake powdered cocoa generously on top.