Tiramisu

I’m not the biggest fan of tiramisu (which means “pick-me-up” in Italian!), but I like pleasing my friends and family :-) We’ve got an awful lot of friends who think tiramisu is the bomb, and even I have to admit that it’s a wonderfully light dessert to serve in the summertime. Here’s the best recipe I’ve ever used:

Tiramisu

2 c mascarpone (1 lb)
3 T sugar
1 T orange liqueur (or extract)
2 T dark rum
1 c heavy cream
24 ladyfingers
1-1/2 c cold strong coffee, preferably espresso
8 oz dark chocolate, chopped fine
Cocoa powder

If you cannot find mascarpone (Italian cream cheese) near you, I’ve learned that you can substitute 1 lb of cream cheese (room temperature), whipped with 1/2 c sour cream. It’s not ideal, but it’s pretty good.

In a large bowl, combine mascarpone through rum and beat till smooth. Whip the cream in a separate chilled bowl until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream gently into the mascarpone mixture.

Moisten half of the ladyfingers in the coffee, and arrange them in the bottom of an 8″ square baking dish. Layer on half the mascarpone mixture and sprinkle with half the chocolate. Repeat the layers. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour. Can be made the day before.  Just before serving, sprinkle the top with cocoa powder.

Image:  Wikimedia Commons