I love beer. Though I prefer wine over beer in most cases, sometimes an ice-cold hefeweizen or oatmeal stout really hits the spot.

And with summer fast approaching, beer almost always wins my heart over any other beverage on a hot, sunny day.

My husband (also an avid beer drinker) and I like to buy specialty beers when we can just to see what we like. I’m not a huge fan of IPAs, but give me a coffee stout any day and I’m a happy girl. Sometimes these specialty beers come in oddball sizes, leaving me with a few leftover ounces. In this case, I like to use that extra beer for bread or for one of my favorite desserts, tiramisu.

Beer Tiramisu – or “beeramisu” – is a fun take on a classic Italian dessert. It’s made with coffee or chocolate stout beer (or Porter beer, if you can’t find the other stuff) instead of coffee liqueur, and it’s absolutely delicious.

There’s a hint of that boozy flavor combined with the cream cheese mixture (or mascarpone cheese, if you’re up for spending a few extra bucks) and the sweet, soaked ladyfingers. Add some strong coffee and a sprinkling of cocoa powder, and you’ve got yourself a new favorite dessert.

Tiramisu is often made with raw eggs, so if that concerns you, you can leave them out. I recommend really trying to scope out a coffee stout, but if it’s nowhere to be found a chocolate stout or something like Guinness will do.

This tiramisu is easy enough to whip it up before dinnertime and have it chilled in time for dessert. Or, bring it to your next barbecue or potluck and impress your peeps with your “fancy” Italian dessert-making skills. It tastes even better, I think, with a glass of beer on the side!

Stephanie (aka Girl versus Dough) joined Tablespoon to share her adventures in the kitchen. Check out Stephanie’s Tablespoon member profile and keep checking back for her own personal recipes on Tablespoon!