Sweet Treat of the Week: Tiramisu

Aren't vacations great?  Sometimes don't you need a vacation to recuperate from your vacation?  Well, more on that later--but we're back from a splendid and fun-filled week in St. George Island, FL.  While we were away, I celebrated my twenty-____th year on earth with my husband's family. What a fun time we had!

When we arrived safely at home, we celebrated my "trip around the sun" with my side of the family--so my mom made my favorite birthday dessert and my dad played the Beatles' "Birthday" song--just like every year.  Ahh, love it!  Tiramisu is my new favorite birthday dessert--this is the 2nd year in a row I have requested it and, well, let's just say I'm already looking forward to next year!  Thanks for sharing the recipe, Ma.

Ingredients:

40 Roland Lady Fingers (Italian SAVOIARDI)
8 large egg yolks*
¾ cup sugar
1 ½ lbs mascarpone cheese
4 large egg whites, beaten in a medium size bowl until stiff peaks form*
2 cups cold, strong espresso coffee
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1. Beat the egg yolks and sugar until thick. Fold mascarpone into eggs until smooth, then fold egg whites into the mascarpone mixture thoroughly.

2. Pour espresso into a shallow bowl. Dip ladyfingers quickly into the mixture one at a time and place a layer of them very close together in a 14x10 inch dish.

3. Spread half the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers and sprinkle with cocoa powder.

4. Make another layer of ladyfingers the same way and top with the remainder of the mascarpone cheese. Sprinkle with cocoa powder.

5. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours. Decorate with chocolate shavings if desired.

Makes 10-12 Servings

*With all of the egg recalls in effect right now, please be careful when choosing eggs to use for this recipe!  And just to be on the safe side, don't let babies or the elderly or anyone with a weakened immune system consume uncooked eggs!