Tiramisu Blondies

Tiramisu is a delicious dessert that can be translated into so many different formats and my Tiramisu Blondies are downright decadent with a chocolate chip coffee blondie base, a layer of coffee ganache, coffee-soaked biscuits and fresh whipped cream. It's all topped off with a heavy dusting of cocoa powder. These are incredibly delicious and you will certainly love them if you are a coffee fan. If you love blondies, I can recommend my White Chocolate Raspberry Blondies and Salted Espresso Chocolate Chunk Blondies which are also dangerously good!

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• Coffee chocolate chip blondie base - the blondie base comes together quickly in one bowl. It's a coffee infused chocolate chip blondie batter that is heavenly on its own.
• Soft fudgy texture - the base is so fudgy like a dense soft chocolate chip cookie.
• Rich coffee flavor - there's coffee in almost all layers of this dessert from the blondie base, to the coffee chocolate ganache and the coffee-soaked biscuit layer.
• Coffee ganache - although chocolate doesn't play a huge part in the classic tiramisu dessert, this layer of dark chocolate ganache made with coffee instead of cream makes this dessert magical!
• Coffee-soaked biscuits - just like traditional tiramisu, I add a layer of coffee soaked biscuits.
• Fresh whipped cream - you can't have tiramisu without the creamy component and the top layer of these bars is fresh whipped cream with a heavy dusting of cocoa powder.

INGREDIENTS FOR TIRAMISU BLONDIES

Here are some notes about the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

• Unsalted butter - there is no substitute for butter in a blondie recipe in my opinion. It is the foundation of the rich flavor. It is important to let the butter cool so that the batter comes together evenly and doesn't feel greasy.
• All purpose flour - regular all purpose flour is perfect to make fudgy and chewy blondies. Use unbleached flour which will give you that nice dense texture.
• Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is essential to enhance the coffee flavor and it complements the rich buttery notes. I like this Madagascar vanilla extract.
• Brown sugar - you can use light or dark brown sugar in this recipe. Although I adore dark brown sugar, the molasses can overtake the taste of the coffee so I prefer light brown sugar for this recipe.
• Egg - 1 whole egg will provide majority of the structure in these blondies.

• Coffee or espresso - brew up some strong coffee, make fresh espresso or make instant espresso using this espresso powder. I use espresso powder since it is part of the first three layers of this dessert and it is so convenient!
• Dark chocolate - the mocha layer is a water-based coffee ganache made without cream. You simply combine semisweet chocolate with hot coffee and stir until glossy.
• Mini dark chocolate chips - these are great because of their smaller size so that they will distribute further throughout the blondie base.
• Maria biscuits or Arrowroot biscuits - traditional tiramisu uses Savoiardi ladyfinger biscuits, but they would be quite tall and large for this dessert. I opt for thin arrowroot-style biscuits which aren't too sweet and soak up the coffee nicely.
• Whipping cream - this forms the basis of the top layer.
• Sour cream - the acidity helps set the cream over time to mimic mascarpone cream without having to spend the cash on mascarpone.
• Skim milk powder - it helps stabilize the cream so that it will remain firm and fluffy without weeping even days after storage in the fridge.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

• STEP 1). Make the blondie base. Combine cooled melted butter, brown sugar, egg, coffee and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk until well combined, smooth and glossy. It should lighten in color slightly as you whisk to whip a bit of air into it. Mix in salt and baking soda so it is evenly combined. Add flour and fold it in gently, then fold in chocolate chips.
• STEP 2). Bake. Spread the thick batter evenly into your prepared pan. Bake for 22-25 minutes until the top is evenly golden and glossy and the edges are browned. Set aside to cool completely.
• STEP 3). Make the ganache. Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Add very hot coffee (just prepared, or just off the boil if making instant espresso) over top and whisk until smooth and glossy. Pour it over the cooled blondie base and tilt the pan so it spreads out evenly. Use a small offset spatula to spread it out to the edges if necessary. Let it set for about 20 minutes so it thickens up a bit but isn't quite firm.
• STEP 4). Add the biscuit layer. Submerge Maria biscuits or arrowroot biscuits in slightly cooled coffee and then lay them evenly over the chocolate layer. Place it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
• STEP 5). Make the cream layer. Combine cream, skim milk powder and sugar in a medium bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer on medium speed until it reaches firm peaks. Add sour cream and beat it in until combined. Spread it evenly over the biscuit layer to cover it.
• STEP 6). Dust generously with cocoa powder and refrigerate until ready to serve. Dust with more cocoa just before serving.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS FOR TIRAMISU BLONDIES

• Let the melted butter cool. Using hot butter for the blondies may cause your batter to feel greasy and the baked blondies will also feel greasy as the fat has a tendency to separate upon beating while still warm.
• Do not over-bake. Be sure to not over-bake the blondies or they can end up more dry instead of dense and fudgy.
• Let the base cool completely. The baked blondies must cool completely for at least 2 hours before adding the ganache layer so that it doesn't melt once you add it.
• Do not over-whip the ganache. When combining the hot coffee and chocolate, do not stir vigorously or beat. Instead, stir briskly in concentric circles to bring the emulsion together.

RECIPE FAQ

If you love bars and brownies, check out these recipes!

Salted Espresso Chocolate Chunk Blondies Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Brown Butter Blondies Peanut Butter Fudge Swirl Brownie Bottom Cheesecake Better Than Box Brownie Mix Recipe The BEST Small Batch Fudge Brownies Buckeye Peanut Butter Fudge Brownies BEST Fudgy Brownie Recipe with Shiny Crust The BEST Fudgy Flourless Brownie Cookies

Bars & Squares

Looking for other squares and bars like this? Try these:

Baking with coffee...

Do you love baking with coffee? Check out these recipes: