Baked Apple Tiramisu with Speculoos (Egg-Free Christmas Dessert) Recipe
This egg-free baked apple tiramisu with speculoos combines juicy cinnamon-spiced apples with creamy mascarpone and quark layers and crispy speculoos cookies, creating a festive and comforting dessert perfect for Advent or Christmas. It features a simple preparation with the ability to be made ahead, allowing the flavors to meld beautifully overnight.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 9 hours 8 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: German
Ingredients
Scale
Cinnamon Apples
- 6 apples
- 2 tbsp butter
- 150 g brown sugar
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cookie spice
- 1 pinch of salt
- 30 g raisins soaked in rum (plus soaking liquid)
Cream
- 500 g mascarpone
- 500 g quark (low-fat or 20% fat)
- 200 g liquid cream (not whipped)
- 150 g sugar
- 2 packets vanilla sugar
Additional
- 200 g speculoos cookies
- 1 shot (~150 ml) white mulled wine or apple juice (to dilute syrup if needed)
For Decoration
- 200 g cream
- Speculoos cookie crumbs
- Almond flakes or chopped almonds
Instructions
- Prepare cinnamon apples: Peel, core, and finely dice the apples. Toss them immediately in lemon juice to prevent browning. Melt butter in a pan, then add the diced apples and lemon juice. Stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, cookie spice, salt, and soaked raisins along with the rum soaking liquid. Gently simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally until the apples are tender. Transfer the mixture to a sieve to drain thoroughly, collecting the precious syrup for later use. Let the apples cool completely.
- Make the cream: Remove mascarpone and quark from the refrigerator 30 minutes before mixing to soften them. In a bowl, combine mascarpone, quark, sugar, vanilla sugar, and liquid cream. Stir until smooth and creamy, even though the cream will remain slightly liquid, ensuring a luscious texture.
- Assemble the tiramisu: Briefly dip speculoos cookies (about 3 seconds each) into the warm apple syrup to soften them without sogginess. If the syrup is insufficient, dilute with white mulled wine, rum, or apple juice. Arrange a layer of soaked cookies in a casserole or dessert dish. Spread half the cream evenly over the cookies, then top with half the cooled cinnamon apples. Repeat with another soaked cookie layer and the remaining cream. Smooth the top surface carefully. Cover and refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to meld and cookies to soak.
- Decorate: Whip the remaining 200 g cream until stiff peaks form. Pipe the whipped cream decoratively over the chilled tiramisu using a piping nozzle. Sprinkle the top generously with speculoos crumbs and almond flakes or chopped almonds to add texture and garnish just before serving.
Notes
- Soaking the speculoos briefly in the syrup prevents them from becoming too soft or soggy, maintaining a pleasant texture.
- The recipe can be prepared a day in advance to allow the flavors to develop fully.
- Use low-fat or regular quark based on preference; fat content affects cream richness slightly.
- Speculoos can be substituted with ginger snaps if unavailable.
- The collected apple syrup is a flavorful sweetener and key to moistening the speculoos layers.
Keywords: Apple tiramisu, baked apple tiramisu, strawberry tiramisu without eggs, Christmas dessert
