My favourite Christmas Dessert - Berry Tiramisu

I have been making this dessert since I was 15 years old. It is a berry tiramisu that can be whipped up in 15 minutes and made one to two days in advance. It is delicious, refreshing and so easy to prepare, utilizing beautiful Australian berries, which are just my favourite thing to eat at this time of the year. Most importantly, the title of the dish is slightly deceiving in that it doesn’t have coffee in it, which I adore because I detest coffee.

Ingredients

• 3 cups fresh raspberries
• 3 cups fresh blackberries
• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• 2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
• 1-1/3 cups sugar, divided
• 4 teaspoons grated orange zest
• 1 cup orange juice
• 500g smooth ricotta
• 125ml full cream milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 packages crisp ladyfinger biscuits (Savoiardi)
• Additional fresh berries, optional

Directions

1. Place berries in a large bowl. Mix 1/3 cup sugar, orange zest and orange juice; toss gently with berries. Marinate for about 10 minutes.
2. In another bowl, mix ricotta, milk, vanilla and remaining sugar. 
3. Drain berries over a shallow bowl, reserving juices. Dip ladyfingers in reserved juices, allowing excess to drip off; arrange ladyfingers in a single layer on bottom of a dish. Layer with half the berries and half the ricotta mixture; repeat layers, starting with ladyfingers.
4. Refrigerate, covered, overnight. If desired, top with additional berries before serving.