Tiramisu and a little bit of Love

So, first it was Tiramisu Roulade, now it's Tiramisu. Yes, I am a fan of creamy, chocolately desserts. This recipe is adapted from Rachel Allen's "Entertaining At Home" cookbook, which I turn to quite a bit for dinner party ideas. What I love about this recipe is the ease at which the dessert can be whipped up, on the morning of your special meal, or even better, the night before. The extra plus is its simplicity, there is no cooking required. So, now that January has passed and our well intended vows of calorie control may be waning slightly, this sweet recipe can make an appearance! Plus, Valentine's day is approaching and this would make a pretty perfect end to a special home cooked meal for a loved one. Whatever the occasion and whomever you are feeding, I do hope this dessert goes down a treat.
This recipe serves 4/5 generous individual portions.


Ingredients:

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 1 250g tub of mascarpone cheese
• 150 ml cream
• 150 ml strong coffee, cooled slightly
• 2 tbsp liqueur e.g. spiced rum, brandy, Bailey's
• 16 - 20 sponge finger/boudoir biscuits, broken into 2 or 3 pieces
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder and/or 1 Cadbury's Flake bar, to decorate
• 4 to 5 serving glasses

Method:

1. Whisk the egg, sugar and vanilla to a creamy consistency.
2. Add in the mascarpone and the cream and continue to whisk to a nice, smooth texture, a little thicker and more dense than whipped cream.
3. Separately, mix together your liqueur and coffee in a bowl. Dip your broken pieces of biscuits into the liquid for a few seconds, until nicely softened and add about 4 pieces to the bottom of each serving glass.
4. Repeat the above step until all the glasses are ready.
5. Add a large tablespoon of the creamed mixture into each serving glass on top of the soaked biscuits. Follow with another layer of 4 biscuits as in step 3 and then finish with a second layer of mascarpone and cream.
6. Add a dusting of cocoa powder over each top layer, to your own liking, and then leave to chill in the fridge for at least one hour, up to 24 hours.
7. Before serving, crumble over a little chocolate Flake bar for extra chocolately goodness.

   

   With Flake added - mmm, enjoy!