Non Alcoholic Tiramisu or Watchamacallit!!

Ok get ready to hear this….I have never had Tiramisu before!! Yikes!! I know!! Which world do I live in? Right? Wrong!! First of, I’ve lived most of my life in India wherein this dessert is simply not as popular as elsewhere. Moreover, I don’t consume any form of alcohol so the traditional tiramisu is just out of the picture. But this dessert is so popular on many of the blogs that I just had to try and make a non alcoholic version of it. So when I came across this on Dozen Flours I knew I had hit the jackpot. What can be better than non alcoholic tiramisu?? However there was a glitch with the Starbucks drink which I could not find in any of the supermarkets and also I have no idea how to make an espresso (egad!!) or even which coffee powder to buy for it (shakes head). I wrote to Julia and she gave me a lot of helpful tips which I used to make my own version. I used the traditional ladyfingers instead of the sponge cake in the recipe. This recipe is so forgiving that you can use whatever ingredients you like without the worry of raw eggs and all that. The result was a fantastic dessert (not calling it Tiramisu coz I don’t know if it tastes like it’s supposed to or even close!!) that tasted great with the right hint of the coffee flavour. What's more, this can be enjoyed by children, pregnant woman and everybody else who cannot have alcohol! Yay!

Recipe Source - Adapted from Dozen Flours

Ingredients

22 ladyfingers (Savoiardi)*
200 gms Mascarpone Cheese
1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
2 Cups Whipping Cream
1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar
1 bottle Starbucks Double Shot** or Frappuccino Coffee Drink (mocha)
1/4 Cup Instant Coffee***
1 - 2 Tsp Unsweetened Cocoa

In a bowl, beat the cheese, ½ cup sugar and two tablespoons of the coffee till smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Whip the cream, sugar and 2 tablespoons coffee on high till peaks are formed. Take half cup of this mixture and mix it with the cheese mixture (removed from fridge). Set aside.

Pour out the Starbucks drink into a tall glass (the length of the ladyfingers) with a wide mouth or a bowl with a wide bottom. Have ready a square or rectangle glass dish that must be at least 2 inches deep.

Start dipping each biscuit in the Starbucks drink for 2 – 3 seconds and arrange in a row on the bottom of the dish. Repeat till the bottom is neatly covered with the ladyfingers. If any pieces are broken place them in the center of the dish and keep the good ones for the edges. (I dipped mine a little longer fearing that the ladyfingers would not soften up. Boy was I wrong! They were very soft. Next time I know to dip them just for 2 seconds.)

Spread half of the cheese mixture onto the ladyfingers and cover all of them evenly.

Put the whipped cream mix on the cheese layer and spread completely.

Repeat the layers with the ladyfingers, cheese layer and whipped cream layer.

Cover with a plastic wrap and place in fridge for 2 – 4 hours (I left it overnight).

Before serving, dust the top with a coat of cocoa powder. Cut into squares and serve immediately.

* - May require more depending on the size of your dish. I used a 9 X 8 rectangle.
** - The original recipe called for doubleshot but I used the frappuccino which is much lighter. For a stronger coffee taste use the double shot or strong espresso coffee.
*** - I used Nescafe decaf with milk

Happy Eating!!