Sophia Loren says that the dessert was a "date food" of the '80s. Her is her own recipe.

• 3 eggs, separated
• 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbs. sugar
• 6 ounces mascarpone cheese
• 36 ladyfingers
• 1 cup orange liqueur
• 1 cup espresso coffee
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, grated
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Combine egg yolks and sugar in a medium-sized bowl and beat well. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. In a third, larger bowl, combine the egg yolk mixture with the mascarpone, then fold in the egg whites to produce a creamy mixture.

Arrange a tight layer of ladyfingers in a 9x12 inch serving dish. Using a spoon, drizzle about half the liqueur and half the espresso over the ladyfingers. Cover the ladyfingers with the mascarpone mixture and the grated chocolate, and dust it with a little more than half the cocoa.

Cover the filling with a second layer of ladyfingers and drizzle with the remaining liqueur and espresso. Place the dish in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours (the Tiramisu can be made 24 hours in advance). Top with the remaining cocoa before serving.

This recipe serves 8 people. Due to the nature of this recipe, it adjusts the number of servings in multiples of 8 only.

Per serving: calories 396, fat 13.5g, 30% calories from fat, cholesterol 260mg, protein 10.7g, carbohydrates 61.6g, fiber 2.7g, sugar 46.7g, sodium 114mg, diet points 9.0.

Dietary Exchanges: Milk: 0.1, Vegetable: 0.0, Fruit: 0.8, Bread: 0.4, Lean meat: 0.3, Fat: 2.3, Sugar: 2.7, Very lean meat protein: 0.0

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