This tipsy Chocolate Terrine Tiramisu is a cocktail-enhanced twist on classic tiramisu – coffee, dark chocolate, and white chocolate mousses, layered with espresso and booze-soaked ladyfingers. It’s the ultimate grown-up dessert!
The name might be foreign to you, but this coffee-lover’s sweet treat does not disappoint! The boozy, espresso-soaked ladyfingers adds a smooth burn to every bite, and the duo of chocolate mousses play well with the mascarpone-based coffee layer.
It’s an incredibly rich dessert, so I’d bet you could stretch it pretty far at any holiday party, and no one would be left without a bite or two!
Oh, and…the booze is strong with this one.
Nerd drink humor. Get on board.
This page includes step by step instructions, as well as tips and notes. If you’d like to skip all that, feel free to scroll down to the full, printable recipe card at the bottom of the post. There is also a “jump to recipe” button at the top of the page if you’d rather not exercise your scrolling finger!
Why you’ll love this chocolate terrine recipe!
- It’s a fancier twist on the classic Italian tiramisu.
- A pretty addition to any holiday spread!
- Great for bakers who love a challenge.
- Booze, booze, and… booze!
What the heck is a terrine?
The terrine, created by the French, typically consists of layers of different ingredients. The layers are compressed and chilled until firm, then sliced like a loaf or cake. The can be served with sauces, syrups, or whipped cream.
Most often than not, terrines are savory in nature, but dessert versions offer endless variations in flavors and textures. Common ingredients used in terrine desserts include various fruits, nuts, and chocolate.
This baby is a labor of love, for sure.
I adore classic Italian tiramisu, and I was really afraid to shake it up by turning it into a terrine – a dessert I’d never made before.
But, I’m no slouch when it comes to sweet mash-ups. I was really digging the idea of ganache-based mousses, and I happened to have some ladyfingers in the pantry, just waiting to be used. So, I wiped the doubt from my mind, poured myself an iced Americano to get in the mood, and set about making this holiday miracle.
Ingredients for chocolate terrine
Mousses can be finicky beasts, so make sure you follow the directions to the letter, and give each layer plenty of time to set before moving on to the next!
- Heavy whipping cream – with three different layer of mousse, you’ll need plenty of this.
- White chocolate – bars, not chips! Chips are made with palm oil, which doesn’t melt as nicely as cocoa butter-based bars do.
- Dark chocolate – semi-sweet or bittersweet, choose your favorite.
- Ladyfingers – also know as savoiardi; this brand is my favorite, but you can also make homemade ladyfinger cookies for tiramisu.
- Coffee liqueur – I did say this was a boozy dessert, didn’t I?
- Hot brewed espresso
- Espresso powder – amps up the coffee flavor, as well as deepens the chocolate flavor.
- Mascarpone cheese
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Cocoa powder
For exact ingredient measurements and recipe instructions, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post!
How to make Chocolate Terrine Tiramisu
- White chocolate mousse. Place chopped white chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat heavy cream in a saucepan set over medium heat to an almost-simmer, or in microwave for 1-2 minutes. Pour it over the white chocolate and add vanilla, stirring until smooth. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate about 3 hours.
- Mascarpone espresso mousse. In a medium bowl, sprinkle espresso powder over heavy cream. Allow it to sit for about 5 minutes, then whip it to medium peaks with a whisk-fitted hand mixer.
- In a separate bowl, cream the mascarpone and sugar for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and liqueur, and continue to mix another 1-2 minutes until fluffy.
- Gently fold espresso whipped cream into mascarpone mixture. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate about 3 hours.
- Dark chocolate mousse. Place chopped dark chocolate in a large bowl. Heat heavy cream in a saucepan set over medium heat to an almost-simmer, or in microwave for 1-2 minutes. Pour over the chopped chocolate and stir until smooth. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate with other bowls, about 3 hours.
- Assemble. Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, leaving some overhang above the edge of the pain.
- Combine liqueur and espresso in a heat-proof cup and pour in a shallow bowl or cake pan. Set aside.
- Remove the bowls of chocolate ganache from the refrigerator. Using a whisk-fitted hand mixer, separately whip the two chocolate ganaches to soft peaks, 1-4 minutes. The white chocolate can take longer to set, so more whipping time may be required. The espresso mousse should not need to be re-whipped.
- Using a spatula, spread the white chocolate mousse evenly into the prepared pan. Freeze for at least 10 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the freezer and spread the prepared espresso mousse evenly on top of white chocolate layer.
- Dip 8 ladyfingers, one at a time, both sides for 2-3 seconds each (you want them to retain some firmness), into the espresso mixture, and layer lengthwise on top of the espresso mousse. Freeze for another 10 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the freezer and, using a spatula, spread the dark chocolate mousse evenly on top of the layer of ladyfingers. Repeat the procedure for a second ladyfinger layer, set on top.
- Wrap the top of the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours.
- When ready to serve, unwrap the pan and lift the inner wrap to unmold the terrine, then flip, ladyfinger side down, on a long serving plate. Remove the wrap, and dust with cocoa powder. Garnish with cranberries and rosemary for holiday flair.
More great coffee flavored desserts!
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Chocolate Terrine Tiramisu
Ingredients
White Chocolate Layer (top)
- ⅔ cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 ounces white chocolate chopped
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Mascarpone Espresso Layer (middle)
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder
- 4 ounces mascarpone cheese
- ⅛ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur
Dark Chocolate Layer (bottom)
- 1 ¼ cups heavy whipping cream
- 8 ounces semi-sweet or dark chocolate chopped
- 16 ladyfingers savoiardi
- ½ cup coffee liqueur any flavor
- ½ cup hot brewed espresso or coffee
- Cocoa powder for dusting
- Fresh cranberries & rosemary sprigs for garnish
Instructions
White Chocolate Layer (top)
- Place white chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat cream over saucepan to an almost-simmer, or in microwave for 1-2 minutes. Pour over white chocolate and add vanilla, stirring until smooth. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate about 3 hours.
Mascarpone Espresso Layer (middle)
- In a medium bowl, sprinkle espresso powder over cream and allow to sit for a few minutes, then whip it to medium peaks with a whisk-fitted hand mixer.
- In a separate bowl, cream the mascarpone and sugar for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and liqueur, and continue to mix another 1-2 minutes until fluffy.
- Gently fold espresso whipped cream into mascarpone mixture. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate about 3 hours.
Dark Chocolate Layer (bottom)
- Place chocolate in a large bowl. Heat cream over saucepan to an almost-simmer, or in microwave for 1-2 minutes. Pour over chopped chocolate and stir until smooth. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate with other layers, about 3 hours.
Assembly
- Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, leaving some overhang above the edge of the pain.
- Combine liqueur and espresso in a heat-proof cup and pour in a shallow bowl or cake pan. Set aside.
- Remove bowls from refrigerator. Using a whisk-fitted hand mixer, separately whip white and dark chocolate ganaches to soft peaks, 1-4 minutes (the white chocolate can take longer to set, so more whipping time may be required. Espresso mousse will not need to be re-whipped.)
- Using a spatula, spread white chocolate mousse evenly into the prepared pan. Freeze 10 minutes.
- Remove from freezer and spread prepared espresso mousse evenly on top of white chocolate layer.
- Dip 8 ladyfingers, one at a time, both sides for 2-3 seconds each (you want them to retain some firmness), into the espresso-mü mxture, and layer lengthwise on top of the espresso mousse. Freeze 10 minutes.
- Remove from freezer and, using a spatula, spread dark chocolate mousse evenly on top of ladyfinger layer. Repeat procedure for a second ladyfinger layer, set on top.
- Wrap completely with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours, or freeze.
- When ready to serve, unwrap the pan and lift the inner wrap to unmold the terrine, then flip, ladyfinger side down, on a long serving plate. Remove the wrap, dust with cocoa powder, and garnish with cranberries and rosemary for a holiday flair.
Kelly says
Tiramisu is my absolute favorite but I didn’t realize it was so easy to make! I’ll definitely be on the lookout for mü so I can whip this up on my own! #client