Strawberry-balsamic tiramisu

For dessert I thought of tiramisu but went in a slightly more springtime direction using strawberries as a starting point.

8 oz. mascarpone
1/4 cup sugar
2 egg whites
1 whole egg
1/8 tsp. vanilla
20 ladyfingers
balsamic vinegar
2 strawberries, quartered

1. In a large bowl, use beaters to whip together mascarpone, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until it's fluffy yet stiff.

2. Spoon 2/3 of the mixture onto the center of four plates in a mound.

3. Arrange 5 ladyfingers on each mound in a star shape, overlapping the ends as you go.

4. Sprinkle liberally with balsamic vinegar (the ladyfingers I had absorbed liquid so quickly that the idea of even a lightning-quick soak was out of the question).

5. Top with remaining mascarpone mixture in another mound in the center, and then add two quartered strawberries on top.

(If I did it again I'm curious to see if it would have had a more refreshing flavor with a lemon juice sprinkling instead of balsamic. I'd probably also have added a full strawberry per serving, but that was all I had on hand. And it might be worth upgrading from Safeway-brand ladyfingers, which were a little dry. It was definitely good, but felt a little like a first draft. Perhaps in the future I'll try another version and compare the two.)