Only the mascarpone and the ladyfingers in this lemony dessert give a nod to a traditional tiramisù, but my California spin on this beloved dessert is just as addictive. I think lemon makes everything taste a bit lighter (so I can eat more without feeling weighed down!), and the hazelnuts add a delicate flavor and lots of crunch. So while no one will mistake this for the original, I promise it will make anyone you serve it to very, very happy.

　　

Ingredients

6 to 8 servings

　　

Lemon-Hazelnut Syrup

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 to 3 lemons)

　　2/3 cup sugar

　　1/2 cup hazelnut liqueur, such as Frangelico

　　

Tiramisù

1/2 cup toasted and skinned hazelnuts

　　Grated zest of 1 lemon

　　2 cups heavy cream

　　1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

　　5 tablespoons sugar

　　1 pound mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

　　48 crisp Italian ladyfingers or Savoiardi cookies

　　

Step 1

For the lemon-hazelnut syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the lemon juice, 1/2 cup water, and the sugar over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Take the pan off the heat and allow the syrup to cool, about 20 minutes. Stir in the hazelnut liqueur.

　　

Step 2

For the tiramisù: In a food processor or blender, pulse the hazelnuts until finely chopped (but not a paste). Add the lemon zest and pulse once to combine. Set aside.

　　

Step 3

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream in a large bowl until thick. Add the cinnamon and 2 tablespoons of the sugar and continue to whip until the cream holds soft peaks. In another bowl, beat together the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar and the mascarpone cheese for 30 seconds. Mix one quarter of the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the remaining whipped cream. Set aside.

　　

Step 4

Pour the lemon-hazelnut syrup into a small, shallow bowl. Dip 16 of the ladyfinger cookies in the syrup. Line the bottom of a 13 x 9 x 2-inch serving dish or other decorative serving dish with the dipped cookies, trimming the cookies, as necessary, to form an even layer. Spread one third of the mascarpone mixture over the cookies. Sprinkle with one third of the hazelnut mixture. Form 2 more identical layers, each consisting of 16 dipped ladyfinger cookies and ending with a layer of the mascarpone mixture sprinkled with the hazelnut mixture.

　　

Step 5

Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight. Remove the tiramisù from the refrigerator at least 1 hour before serving.

　　Giada at Home by Giada De Laurentiis. Copyright © 2010 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by the Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.