Try my Tiramisu

Tim requested Tiramisu for his birthday dessert. While there are many variations in proportions and preparations, he loves my family's standard recipe. Here's how my grandmother made Tiramisu, the simple and famous Italian dessert that gained popularity in the 80s:

This recipe will yield approx a 9x9 pan full, double layer. For more, just double!

• 2 eggs, separated
• 100 grams of sugar (a scale will work for you gram-o-phobes)
• approx 1.5 cups of espresso, or, if you don't have an espresso maker, brew some very strong coffee
• light dash (about a tablespoon) of rum or marsala, or some other nice little something, although you can omit this
• 250 grams of plain mascarpone cheese. You can get an 8oz container at the grocery store (usually by the fancy cheese) though you'll be about 25 grams shy, but that's OK. Just don't lick too much. Beware - don't get the stupid 'tiramisu mascarpone' which is pre-flavored. That's just wrong in my book.
• 1 double sleeve package of Savoiradi. This is key. You can substitute toasted lady fingers, but, just like brewing American coffee instead of espresso, it's not really proper. So if you're kind of crazy about these things like I am, look for Savoiardi (any brand will do) in your grocer's "Italian" section.
• Cocoa powder, for sprinkling on top

More about the Savoiardi. They are sometimes called Lady Fingers, as I mentioned, but they are not all created equal. Do NOT be fooled by the ones that are actually called just LadyFingers though. These are not the same and I hate them and people that think these are it. These are soft and squishy, so they have to be toasted, and then they're still not the same. Lame. For authenticity, go with the right ones. Authentic ones are hard, and have a flaky, sugary look. Or you could make them. But that's a lot of trouble, in my opinion, when they're quite good out of the package. They look like this:

OK. So here we go:

Make the espresso. Pour into a shallow dish (a pie dish will do) and dissolve half the sugar into it, completely. Add the dash of liquor. Set aside.

Beat the yolks with the remaining sugar, and and the mascarpone. Continue to beat until smooth.

Beat the whites until they form stiff peaks. Gently fold the whites into the mascarpone mixture.

Working quickly, dip the Savoiardi, sugar side down, in the coffee and allow them to soak up some coffee, but not too much so that they get too soft and hard to manage. Create the first layer in your pan using coffee-soaked Savoiardi. You may have to break some in half to fit the pan bottom, that's fine.

Add half the mascarpone mixture and smooth it out. Add another layer of coffee-soaked Savoiardi, then top w/ remaining mascarpone mixture. Smooth. Sprinkle or sift a little cocoa powder on top. Cover and chill overnight. Sometimes my grandmother would freeze the whole pan, this is OK too.

Finally, note that this uses raw eggs. It's kind of like a Zabaglione thing happening with the yolk part. MMMMM.
Do not question this. It has to be done this way or it's not real Tiramisu. It's very unlikely you'll get sick, as very few fresh eggs are tainted with salmonella. The probability is stupid low, like a .000something% chance. So crack open an egg and drink it down, kids. Or eat Tiramisu worry-free.