[Recipe] "Summer Lovin'" Strawberry Tiramisu

It's easy to fall in love when you're on vacation. You're far from home and all the stress and chaos or, alternatively, the humdrum, of normal, everyday life. It's beautiful and sunny and fresh and new. And then you meet someone, and you don't overthink anything-- you can't. This handsome stranger lives hundred, thousands of miles from you, and this wine from a different state, a new country-- it's local here.

Thus starts 50% of all chick flicks. And then, in those romantic movies, the object of your (brief) affections somehow winds up not being so brief but instead, coincidentally, the older brother/cousin/best friend of someone you've known forever, or they have always been meaning to move to the U.S. and away from Italy or Chicago. Or wherever.

In real life, though, you leave your summer romance, your Roman Holiday, exactly where you found it. And you know you'll always have Paris, but it's just not where you belong.

Soundtrack: Summer Nights (Grease)

Summer lovin', had me a blast, oh yeah
Summer lovin' happened so fast
I met a girl crazy for me
Met a boy cute as can be

Summer days drifting away
To, uh oh, those summer night

"Summer Lovin'" Strawberry Tiramisu
A recipe by Giada De Laurentiis

Regular readers of my blog/followers of my Facebook or Instagram feed have likely figured out my not-so-secret secret: I'm very much into strawberries. They are such a lovely summer fruit and yet easy to work with in baking (as opposed to, for example, watermelon, another summer love of mine that is somewhat more difficult to incorporate into delicious goodies-- although perhaps that should be my next challenge... ). This strawberry tiramisu was a very popular, refreshing ending to the Sunday Supper summer run.

Ingredients
1-1/4 cups strawberry preserves
1/3 cup, plus 4 tablespoons of Grand Marnier or Cointreau (or another orange liqueur)
1/3 cup orange juice
1 pound mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1-1/3 cups chilled whipping cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
52 (approximately) crisp ladyfingers (Boudoirs or Savoiardi)
1-1/2 pounds strawberries, divided

Directions
1. Whisk preserves, 1/3 cup Grand Marnier, and orange juice in a 2-cup measuring cup.

2. Place the mascarpone cheese and 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier in a large bowl; fold just to blend.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream, sugar, vanilla, and remaining 2 tablespoons of Grand Marnier in another large bowl to soft peaks.

4. Stir 1/4 of whipped cream mixture into mascarpone mixture to lighten. Fold in remaining whipped cream.
5. Hull and slice half of the strawberries. Spread 1/2 cup of the preserve mixture over the bottom of a 3-quart oblong serving dish or a 13x9 glass baking dish or baking pan. Arrange enough ladyfingers over the strawberry mixture to cover the bottom of the dish. Spoon 3/4 cup of the preserve mixture over the ladyfingers, then spread 2-1/2 cups of the mascarpone mixture over it. Arrange 2 cups of the sliced strawberries over the mascarpone mixture.