Tiramisu with Honeycomb Crunch

Ingredients

Contains: egg, milk (auto-detected from the ingredients and method; we can miss things, so check labels)

• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• ¼ tsp vanilla paste or extract
• 85g mascarpone
• 150ml double cream
• 2 tbsp Kahlúa
• 5 tbsp very strong coffee
• 85g sponge fingers
• cocoa powder, for dusting
• a little mild oil, like sunflower, for greasing
• 85g caster sugar
• 2 tbsp clear honey
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Directions

Method written by CompKitchen from the ingredient list. Not the original author's method, not kitchen-tested.

1. Lightly grease a small tray with the mild oil. Put 85g caster sugar and the 2 tbsp clear honey in a heavy saucepan with a splash of water, and heat gently until the sugar dissolves.

2. Boil the syrup without stirring until it turns a deep golden amber, about 5 to 7 minutes. Take it off the heat and quickly stir in the 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda; it will foam up.

3. Pour the foaming honeycomb straight onto the oiled tray and leave it to set and cool, about 30 minutes. Keep children and pets away, as the sugar is very hot.

4. Mix the 5 tbsp very strong coffee with the 2 tbsp Kahlúa in a shallow dish and leave to cool slightly.

5. Set a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Whisk the egg yolk, 2 tbsp caster sugar and vanilla until pale and thick, then cook, whisking, until the mixture reaches 160°F (71°C), about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.

6. Beat the mascarpone in a bowl until smooth, then fold in the cooled egg yolk mixture. In a separate bowl, whip the double cream to soft peaks and gently fold it into the mascarpone mixture.

7. Dip each sponge finger briefly into the coffee mixture, turning once, and arrange them in a single layer in a small serving dish. Spread half the cream mixture over them, then repeat with a second layer of dipped sponge fingers and the remaining cream.

8. Dust the top generously with cocoa powder. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

9. Just before serving, break the honeycomb into rough pieces and scatter them over the tiramisu.