Holiday Healthy Series: I Saved the Best for Last, Dessert!

Leaving milk and cookies out for Santa is so overdone, this year I decided to cleanse the palette of my dinner guests and Santa ;) with something just a tad sweet, slightly bitter and overall refreshing...nothing too decadent...just a bunch of dairy and brandy! YUM.

Tiramisu is a great dessert to serve, because of its light and fluffy, lady finger cookie base; paired well with the bitterness of the coffee, brandy and cocoa powder, I found that just a small slice was all people needed (perhaps with a little Christmas night cap eh!?) We've been eating to our hearts content, so a little something sweet after all the holiday cheer, turned all the of those on the naughty list, into very nice, stuffed, content, jolly, people.

Of course, I left my camera in San Francisco, so I Instagrammed, like back in the day. 

Traditionally, tiramisu is layered at least four or five times, with lady fingers and mascarpone cheese, but I was conservative, deciding on two layers (less overwhelming for health conscience dinner guests) and opted to use a larger dish (a casserole dish to be exact, so think a 9 X 13 inch dish). I served this over two different dinners and well, it was quite the hit!

Best part about this dish... no baking and you can make it a night ahead! WHOOPIE MORE TIME TO PREP FOR DINNER! A dessert you can literally throw together. #tiramisuisthenewblack

Classic Italian Tiramisu

Cocoa powder for daysssss

Adapted from What the Fruitcake?!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups, strong black coffee, cooled to room temperature (instant coffee is fine!)
• 3 Tbl. brandy (or dark rum)
• 2 packages (24 count), plain lady finger cookies 
• 2 eggs, separated 
• 3 Tbl. granulated sugar
• 2, 8 oz. containers of mascarpone cheese
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped to medium peaks
• Cocoa powder for dusting
• Dark chocolate shavings (optional)

Directions:

1. Brew 2 cups of strong coffee and add 3 Tbl, of brandy. To speed up cooling process place bowl of coffee and brandy in the fridge. Make sure liquid is room temperature, not cold.

2. Beat sugar and egg yolks (the yellow part) with an electric mixer for about 3-5 minutes, or until the mixture becomes thick and pale in color.

3. Beat mascarpone until just combined.

4. Whip heavy whipping cream until medium (meaning semi standing up), peaks form. Gently add in whipping cream to mascarpone mixture.

5. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form (not quite standing on there on, but peaks). Carefully fold in egg whites to make mascarpone light and fluffy. 

6. Assemble tiramisu by dipping cookie for 2-3 seconds in coffee mixture, submerging only one side of the cookie. If you let the lady fingers soak, they will fall apart under the weight of the cheese. Drain any excess liquid as well. Place lady fingers in rows, filling up the dish. One package of lady fingers = one layer.

 

7. Once you've set your first layer of dipped lady fingers, evenly spread half of mascarpone mixture.

8. Dust cocoa powder liberally over layer of mascarpone. Hint! Using a tea stainer works just as well, that is, if you don't have a sifter. It's just a little more wrist action!

9. Repeat second layer: lady fingers, mascarpone, cocoa powder. 

10. Cover dish with plastic wrap and place in the fridge a few hours before serving, or overnight. This allows for the layers to set and the coffee/brandy to really soak in!

11. Optional: Shave some dark chocolate on top of slices of tiramisu. Using a cheese slicers or graters works great for this added touch!
MERRY NEW YEAR! Since Christmas is over...