Brew and cool the coffee

• Brew the strong coffee or espresso and stir in the sugar.
• Let it cool completely.

Whisk the egg yolks over a bain-marie

• In a heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the vanilla bean paste, sugar and a pinch of salt.
• Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, without touching the water.
• Whisk constantly until the mixture is pale and thick.

Cool the egg yolk mixture

• Remove from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.

Incorporate the mascarpone

• Add the mascarpone to the cooled egg yolk mixture.
• Whisk with the electric mixer until well combined.

Whip the cream

• In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream with the sugar until stiff peaks form.

Fold the cream into the mascarpone mixture

• Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone-egg mixture with a spatula until just combined.

Dip the ladyfingers

• Dip each ladyfinger into the cooled coffee for a few seconds on each side.
• They should be soft and pliable but not too wet.

Assemble the tiramisu

• Create a layer of ladyfingers in the serving dish, trimming them to fit if necessary.
• Spread half of the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers.
• Repeat with a second layer of ladyfingers and the remaining mascarpone mixture.

Dust and chill

• Dust the top generously with cocoa powder.
• Cover and refrigerate until the flavors meld.

Serve

• Slice and serve chilled.