Decadent tiramisu is one of those sweet treats that we’ll rarely turn down. The espresso and cocoa powder and custard contribute to the dessert’s flavor, along with the classic ladyfingers. However, while bitter espresso and creamy mascarpone are integral to tiramisu, you can absolutely swap out the ladyfingers for cookies that are more to your taste.
Ladyfingers are the airy, spongy cookies that make up the solid layers of tiramisu. The cookies are slightly sweet, and even better when soaked in coffee before being added to the treat, but they aren’t wholly impactful to tiramisu’s taste. Since the espresso and cocoa powder deliver the boldness, you can ditch ladyfingers for your favorite cookies in order to step up classic tiramisu. Any cookie that complements the rich espresso and decadent custard can take its place. To mimic the shape of ladyfingers, almost any of Pepperidge Farm’s chocolate-filled Milano cookies can work.
Milano cookies have a similar long, slender look, and the chocolate perfectly mirrors the depth already found in tiramisu. Turning them into the treat is a genius way to use store-bought cookies, but you don’t have to stick to Milano cookies. The classic taste of chocolate chip cookies complements tiramisu, while gingersnaps bring a spiced edge to the dessert. After selecting your cookies, slice them into long pieces. Submerge them in cooled espresso before adding them to a baking dish, and then add the mascarpone. Dust cocoa powder over the treat before refrigerating it for two hours.
What store-bought cookies should you use for tiramisu?
Chocolate chip cookies are a top choice for making tiramisu without ladyfingers, but there are an abundance of options that give the classic treat its own special twist. Peanut butter cookies are soft and buttery, and their nutty taste elevates tiramisu well. Sugar cookies are a great, straightforward choice that works with the dessert, especially when it features an unconventional ingredient.
Decadent pistachio tiramisu enhances the treat with the buttery, earthy nuts, and sugar cookies’ simplicity helps to tie the pistachio and espresso together nicely. For a richer edge to bring out the coffee’s taste, opt for brown butter sugar cookies. The caramelized fat gives the cookies a nuttier taste that complements the espresso, as well as the pistachios.
Brown butter sugar cookies are also delightful with no-cook pumpkin tiramisu, but snickerdoodles are more in line with the flavors found in the dessert. The cinnamon-spiced treats complement the nutmeg, ginger, and cloves featured in the pumpkin spice-flavored tiramisu. If you don’t want to lean too much into the spiced theme, however, white chocolate macadamia nut cookies work well. The buttery white chocolate and nuts enhance the sweet mascarpone while softening the fiery spices in the pumpkin batter.
