Coffee, mascarpone, and cocoa bring the familiar flavors of tiramisu to a crisp croissant waffle. Instead of soaking layers of sponge or biscuits, this recipe uses a little concentrated espresso in the cream. The pastry stays crisp enough to contrast with the soft topping.
This is a tiramisu-inspired dessert rather than traditional tiramisu. It contains no raw egg or alcohol, and it is assembled shortly before serving. A light cocoa dusting provides the finishing bitterness that makes the mascarpone cream taste less sweet.
The coffee needs to be completely cool before it goes into the topping. A small amount supplies flavor without adding enough liquid to make the cream runny.
Ingredients
Makes 4 small dessert croffles.
4 small unbaked croissants, approximately 60–75 g each, prepared according to their package instructions
125 g mascarpone, cool but soft enough to stir
125 ml cold whipping cream
25 g powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons strong espresso, completely cooled
1–2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting
A few dark chocolate curls, optional
The main ingredients appear in the matching image. Powdered sugar sweetens the cream, and chocolate curls are an optional garnish.
Allow about 15 minutes to prepare the topping, plus approximately 4–7 minutes of cooking per batch and cooling time. Dough thawing and proofing are additional.
Prepare the mascarpone cream
Stir the mascarpone, powdered sugar, and cooled espresso together gently until smooth. Do not beat the mixture for longer than needed.
In a separate bowl, whip the cold cream to soft peaks.
Fold one-third of the whipped cream into the mascarpone to loosen it. Fold in the rest carefully, keeping as much air in the mixture as possible.
Refrigerate while you cook and cool the croffles. If the topping is too soft to pipe, let it firm up before assembling.
Cook and assemble
Preheat the waffle maker and grease its plates only if required. Add the prepared croissant dough without overcrowding and close the lid gently.
Cook until the outside is golden and crisp, starting to check around 4 minutes. Make sure the first croffle is set inside with no gummy dough, then adjust the remaining cooking time as needed.
Transfer to a wire rack and allow the pastry to cool completely or become barely warm.
Pipe or spoon mascarpone cream over each croffle. Dust lightly with cocoa through a small sieve.
Add optional chocolate curls and serve soon after decorating.
Keep the coffee concentrated
If you want more coffee flavor, use a stronger espresso rather than pouring a large amount into the topping. Too much liquid can loosen the mascarpone mixture and overwhelm the delicate cream.
Avoid soaking the cooked croffle in coffee. That technique suits some layered desserts, but here it removes the crispness that makes the combination interesting.
Make the presentation simple
A row of generous cream dollops and a fine cocoa dusting is enough. The chocolate curl shown in the image is decorative, so leave it out if you prefer. Add the cocoa close to serving; over time it absorbs moisture from the cream and changes appearance.
Serve with espresso for a more pronounced coffee pairing, or with tea if you would rather let the topping carry that flavor on its own.
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