Tiramisu

It has to be said that tiramisu is one of the most well-known and well-loved Italian desserts. It literally translates to pick me up. There are loads of claims to it's origin within Italy; but regardless of where it came from, it is certainly a scrumptious piece of invention!

There's basically five main components in a tiramisu -- lady fingers soaked in espresso and rum; then alternately layered with mascarpone-zabaglione cream; then finish off by dusting cocoa powder on top of the mascarpone-zabaglione cream.

Nowadays, there are many versions of tiramisu, from simplified versions to fancy versions. A lot of people also prefer to use coffee liqueurs like Tia Maria and Kahlua to replace the use of rum and espresso. It's now merely a matter of preference. Important thing is, it has to have a good harmony between the coffee infused biscuits and velvety mascarpone cream.

As for my version, I layered and served my tiramisu in an old-fashion glass. I also didn't have much time to make my own mascarpone, and buying one here is close to impossible. So I substituted my mascarpone with cream cheese. It still tasted divine, our guests loved it anyway.

Yeah, I made this treat because we had friends that came over.  We had an 'English comedy night' as my H would call. It's all good. Even if tiramisu is not exactly English, it went down quite well.

Bisou bisou,

Charlotte