• Preheat the oven to 355°F/180°C (static). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Ladyfingers:

• Separate the eggs. In a clean bowl whip the egg whites until foamy; add the granulated sugar gradually and beat to glossy, stiff peaks. Whisk the yolks briefly until smooth.
• Sift the flour over the whites and fold in gently to retain volume. Fold in the yolks with as few strokes as possible. Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a plain round tip.
• Pipe 3-inch/7 cm ladyfingers onto the prepared sheet with spacing. Dust lightly with powdered sugar, rest 2–3 minutes, dust again, then tilt the tray to remove excess sugar. Bake for 8 minutes, rotate, and bake another 5–7 minutes until just lightly golden. Cool completely on a rack.
• Brew 4 espresso shots and let the liquid cool. Reserve half for the cream and set the rest for dipping. Add amaretto.

Cream:

• Whisk the 4 yolks with sugar and mascarpone until pale and smooth. If you prefer not to use raw yolks, heat this mixture over a bain-marie, whisking until it reaches 140°F/60°C, then remove and cool immediately.
• Beat the 4 egg whites to stiff peaks and fold them into the mascarpone mixture very gently. Fold in the reserved espresso.

Assembly:

• Quickly dip each ladyfinger in the remaining coffee for about 1 second per side; do not soak.
• Arrange a single layer of dipped ladyfingers in a 2-quart/2-liter dish. Spread half the mascarpone cream evenly over them. Repeat with a second layer of dipped ladyfingers and the remaining cream. Cover and refrigerate at least 24 hours for the best texture.
• Just before serving, dust generously with cocoa powder and serve chilled.