Serves 8

For the strawberries:
2-1/2 cups of strawberries, chopped
1/3 cup Alchermes liqueur*, Fragoli wild strawberry liqueur or Chambord
1 tablespoon sugar
2-3 tablespoons rum
1 cup orange juice

For the cream:
5 egg yolks
3/4 cups granulated sugar
2-1/4 cups mascarpone cheese, room temperature
2-1/4 heavy cream

1 box dry ladyfingers (Pavesini brand preferred, available online)

Put the strawberries, Alchermes liquor*, sugar, rum, and orange juice in a bowl. Set aside. With a hand mixer or a KitchenAid standing mixer, beat the egg yolks, sugar, mascarpone, and heavy cream on medium speed for 5-10 minutes, until creamy. In a small bowl, strain the strawberries and keep the juice in a separate bowl. Dip the ladyfingers in the juice (a quick dip so they don’t become soggy), and arrange cookies on bottom of a baking dish. Cover with half the cream mixture, then cover with the chopped strawberries, repeat cookies for another layer, and cover with remaining cream mixture. Decorate it top with strawberries just before serving and dust with powdered sugar. Chill for 2-3 hours before serving. It can stay chilled for up to 2 days.

*Alchermes is a scarlet colored Italian liqueur made by infusing neutral spirits with sugar, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and vanilla, and other herbs, and Kermes, a small parasitic insect.