By February in Denver is the month you endure. Short days, gray sky, cold that's lost its novelty. The football calendar is all offseason lifting and planning, which means my days are more meeting-and-whiteboard than field-and-whistle. I don't mind the work; I mind the absence of Friday nights. Those nights are the reward the other days earn.
Valentine's Day is Ruben's birthday. He would have been forty this year. I mark it privately — I don't post or announce, I just feel it move through the day like weather. Lisa knows to give me some quiet in the morning. The kids don't know yet what the day means to me beyond the chocolate hearts I always leave on the breakfast table. That's okay. They don't need to carry that yet.
I made a birthday cake for Ruben the way I've done for two years — a tres leches, because it was his favorite, because our mother always made it. I made it at midnight after the kids were asleep. I cut a single slice. I ate it standing at the counter and talked to him a little. Not out loud. Just in my head. I told him about the new job. I told him Diego is going to be good. I told him I was okay. I think he knew most of it already. I told him anyway.
The last week of transition meetings at my current school. Paperwork, credential transfers, curriculum handoffs to the incoming staff. I'm leaving the program in a better shape than I found it — more depth in the sophomore class, a new study hall infrastructure, a weight room that got a real investment three years ago. That's the legacy of a program: not the trophies, but what's still standing after you leave.
I’ve made tres leches for Ruben two years running now, and this year I found myself out of one key ingredient at midnight — the kind of thing that would have made him laugh at me. I pivoted to tiramisu, because it holds the same spirit: layers soaked through, sweetness that earns its depth, something you have to let rest before it’s ready. That felt right. Some desserts are built for waiting, and so is grief.
Easy Tiramisu
Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 4 hours 25 minutes (includes chilling) | Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 8 oz mascarpone cheese, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup strong brewed espresso or dark coffee, cooled
- 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur (optional)
- 24–30 ladyfinger cookies (savoiardi)
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting
- Dark chocolate shavings, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Make the cream base. In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks with 1/3 cup sugar until pale and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Add the mascarpone and vanilla extract; stir until smooth and no lumps remain.
- Whip the cream. In a separate chilled bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture in two additions until fully incorporated and airy.
- Prepare the coffee soak. Combine the cooled espresso and coffee liqueur (if using) in a shallow bowl wide enough to dip the ladyfingers.
- Build the first layer. Working one at a time, quickly dip each ladyfinger into the coffee mixture — about 1 second per side; do not oversoak. Arrange in a single layer across the bottom of a 9x13-inch dish or a similar deep dish.
- Add the cream layer. Spread half the mascarpone cream evenly over the soaked ladyfingers, smoothing it to the edges with a spatula.
- Repeat. Dip and arrange a second layer of ladyfingers over the cream. Spread the remaining mascarpone cream evenly on top.
- Chill. Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight. The longer it rests, the more the layers meld together.
- Finish and serve. Just before serving, dust the top generously with cocoa powder through a fine-mesh sieve. Add chocolate shavings if desired. Cut into squares and serve cold.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 310 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 20g | Carbs: 26g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 85mg