Tiramisu

This is a classic Italian dessert. The name translates to "pick-me-up" (in the idiomatic sense).

Ingredients:

8 oz mascarpone (~225g)
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs, divided
12-18 ladyfingers (Savoiardi, not lady's finger)
1 cup espresso (minimum)
1 Tbsp liqueur, typically marsala or rum (optional; I omit it)
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (minimum)

1. Mix the egg yolks, sugar, and mascarpone until very smooth.
2. Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
3. Briskly beat 1/5th of the meringued egg whites into the custard mixture; stir until an even texture is reached.
4. Gently fold the remaining egg whites into the custard.
5. If using liqueur, mix it into the espresso.
   
6. One by one, soak the ladyfingers in the coffee, trying to make sure they absorb a fair amount of it without becoming soggy. Layer them in the bottom of the serving dish.
7. When a layer is complete, cover with a layer of the custard mixture.
8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 until the custard is gone, making sure to finish with a layer of custard.
9. Ideally, allow the tiramisu to be refrigerated for several hours before serving to allow the coffee to infuse into the custard.
10. Immediately prior to serving, dust the tiramisu with a medium-thick layer of cocoa powder.

Notes: this should serve 4-8, depending on serving sizes; the recipe doubles trivially. The most finicky portion of this relatively-simple preparation is the soaking of the ladyfingers; too little coffee and one ends up with spongy biscuits that are hard to cut, too much and one has a puddle of coffee in the bottom of the dish. It can be helpful to err ever-so-slightly on the side of caution and then let it sit overnight to allow the custard and coffee to more thoroughly soften the biscuits.