Beat egg yolks, add sugar and continue to beat until pale yellow.  Beat a few more minutes.  Add mascarpone and beat slowly just until blended, about 10 or 20 seconds.

Place espresso and marsala (or brandy) in a flat bottomed bowl.  Dip a cookie in the liquid until soaked, but too long and the cookie will fall apart.  Place the ladyfinger (savoiardi) cookie on the bottom of an 8” * 8* glass pan.  Repeat until you have covered the bottom of the pan with the soaked cookies.  Cover the cookies with a layer of the cheese mixture.  Sprinkle with cocoa.  Repeat with two more layers of cookies and mascarpone, but don’t put the last layer of cocoa on the top until just before serving.
Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, much better if overnight.

Remove the plastic wrap, sprinkle a good layer of the cocoa on top, and serve.

If you find this version too strong, change the mixture to 20 oz espresso to 4 oz of sweet marsala.  DO NOT substitute dry marsala for the sweet marsala.

For information on the history of Tiramisu, click here to see my husband's video filmed entirely in Treviso, Italy.