Everyone in the group gets this option and I have made everything from Giada's magic bars, to carrot cake cupcakes to chocolate chess pie. Joe looked at me and said, "I don't know, those M&M cookies?" Our friend Elliot immediately yelled, "What?! No! Joe! That's such a waste! She will make you anything you want! And she'd bake the hell out of those cookies but come on! Aim higher!" The response was, "Ok. Tiramisu."
Well, I've never made tiramisu before, but I love it and I loved the challenge. My BFF Katie was also out with us and she volunteered her mom's recipe, which turns out was passed on from our other good friend's mom. This was what I started from:
* 20-25 ladyfinger cookies (Italian style found
at Italian Deli’s)
(amount depends
of size of trifle bowl or 9x13
pan)
** 2-3 cups strong coffee (I use decaf)
1 cup sugar
1 16 oz container Marscapone cheese
1 8 oz container whipped cream cheese
*** 4 egg beaters (one carton)
½ pt. heavy cream
**** Kahlua, 2 tbsp added to coffee
(optional
2 tbsp10 X (confectioner’s) sugar
Beat eggs and sugar in a bowl. Add cheeses and beat until smooth. Set aside. Whip heavy cream, adding 10 X
sugar a little at a time. Fold
whipped cream into cheese mixture.
Dip one side of ladyfingers into coffee. Place layer of ladyfingers, coffee side
down, on the bottom of a trifle bowl and then stand them along the sides. Alternate layers of cheese mixture and
dipped lady fingers. Shake cocoa
powder, if desired on top of each layer of cheese mixture. Top layer should be cheese mixture,
decorate with shaved chocolate or cocoa powder.
(Jean L’s modifications 2/2009)
* 40 Italian
ladyfingers were needed to make a double layer in a 9X 13 Pyrex pan
** Brewed 3
- 8 oz cups of regular coffee using twice the amount of regular coffee than
would normally be used
***
Substitute 4 large eggs for
the egg beaters, then…
Beat 4 eggs with the 1 cup sugar in the top of a double
boiler over boiling water.
Cook and beat continually until tripled in volume, light
in color and fluffy. Then follow
the recipe as written.
**** Used 3
tablespoons of Kahlua
I decided I trusted Mrs. L's modifications, and I made a few more of my own.
I found Ladyfingers at Trader Joes and bought two packs (about 48). I was making the tiramisu in a trifle dish and had no clue how many it would take to layer, and it turns out we used every last one. I bought a tall coffee with a double shot of espresso from Starbucks to soak them in. (I did not put any Kahlua in mine.) I also discovered marscapone is hella expensive, but totally worth it.
Katie dipped all the Ladyfingers and we set them on a cooling rack while I was mixing together the filling. I don't have a real double boiler so I boiled water in a big pot and beat my eggs in a deep skillet while holding it on top. Not the most graceful thing ever and it took a while and some manpower, but it worked! When I felt they were appropriately light and fluffy I added the cheeses and set it aside.
Next came whip cream, which I can't lie, I have had problems with in the past. I had put my standing mixer bowl and beaters in the freezer to get super cold. I started her up whipping and adding the powdered sugar and almost gave up when all of a sudden it got stiff and creamy and perfect.
Folded that in with the cheese mixture and we were ready to layer! Katie did a beautiful job lining the trifle dish and we just filled it right up.
I dusted the top with cocoa and voila!
It really was a beautiful looking dish. Joe was very pleased with his Italian birthday treat and I learned I can make a classy, super yummy dessert with no issues!
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| TaDa! Isn't she glorious? |
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