Frank's Tiramisu

Tiramisu was my dad's signature dish. Well, maybe not so much a signature dish, as the only thing he ever actually made. I used to joke that to really enjoy it, you needed a spoon and a ride home-there was a LOT of brandy in Frank's version. When I told our lifelong friend Al Harsar that I was making the tiramisu this week in tribute to my dad (Frank's been gone 9 years now), Al wrote this, and it's perfect:  'The wonderful thing about your dad is that he literally enjoyed life and didnt care if he was with the President or the street cleaner.  He made me feel like such an important person-always a joyful greeting and genuine interest in what I was doing. 'Tiramisu' means 'pick me up' and my dad did that for all who knew him. Baci a te, Papa.

Ingredients
4 eggs
1/2 cup Tia Maria or brandy
1 pound mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 package of 24 stale ladyfingers
1/2 cup strong expresso
2 oz semisweet chocolate

Method
Separate eggs into two large bowls: add liquor to yolks and stir until blended.  Stir in mascarpone until blended.
Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. (I used a pinch of cream of tartar to help them hold their peaks.)  Fold half of eggwhites into cheese mixture; blend well.  Gently fold in remaining whites, set aside.
Dip ladyfingers quickly into expresso.  do not saturate.  Place flat side down in shallow baking dish. Add half of cheese mixture and smooth top. Grate half of chocolate over mascarpone mixture, covering surface.  Layer with remaining ladyfingers, mascarpone mixture and chocolate.
Refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap, several hours or overnight.
Note: Ladyfingers may be toasted at 375 degrees 15 minutes to stiffen.