Tiramisu, Taimoor and Thanksgiving!

This year is a double-blessing for us because Taimoor turns 14 on Thanksgiving. We are cooking up his favorites. Azfar is making the steak and chimichurri, while I focus on T’s favorite dessert, Tiramisu. His birthday celebrations commenced with a specialty barber haircut, a trip to the theater to watch Creed 2 with a friend, and of course, a food coma!

neck and shoulder massage massage

even a hot towel!

Crowd Pleaser!

Tiramisu has been a guest and house-hold favorite for the past fifteen years. I often make it for large dinner parties in a trifle bowl. Most of it is usually gone by the end of the party, and whatever little is left, Taimoor calls dibs on it. Since it is also a great make-ahead dessert, I’m often having to steer Taimoor away from the fridge for fear he will attack it before the party even starts! If you are looking to lose a few pounds, this is definitely not the dessert for you 😊 It is extremely rich because of the egg yolks and the cream. Once in a while, it is okay to indulge!

Tiramisu is a classic Italian dessert. In the American markets, you will find a diverse range of lady fingers. Some are more cake like while others are harder. The latter will need an extended soaking time, whereas for the former you can simply brush on the coffee and serve within a few hours. The authentic version will of course have liqueur in it. I’ve omitted that to make it more kid-friendly.

Ingredients:

4 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 8oz pack cream cheese softened at room temperature
1 8 oz tub of sour cream
1 ½ tsp lemon juice
1 ¼ cup Heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups of water
6 tsp Instant coffee dissolved in the boiling water
48 – 54 Lady finger biscuits

Directions:

1. Mix the yolks and 2/3 cup sugar. Put on double broiler on med-heat and keep stirring for about 8 minutes. The mix should turn from a goopy mess to a smooth, pale-yellow cream consistency. Set aside to cool slightly.
   

   

   

   
2. In a big mixing bowl, add the cream cheese and sour cream. To it add 3 tablespoons of the heavy whipping cream and 1 ½ teaspoons of the lemon juice Beat till there are no lumps left in the mix. Add the egg yolk and sugar mix, and beat till everything is well incorporated. Chill in the fridge while you work on the whipping cream, next.
   

   

   

   

   
3. In a big mixing bowl, whip the cream with the remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Add 1 tsp vanilla extract once soft peaks form. Gently fold this mix in batches, in the cream cheese mix.
   

   

   

   

   
4. Dip one lady finger at a time in the coffee mix and start to arrange on the bottom. Pour a few tablespoons of the cream cheese mix on top and spread out from center to edges so that the biscuits are covered. Don’t put too much in the bottom layer because as you build up, the mix is going to seep through the holes towards the bottom. Hence, you want to save more for the top. I break some lady fingers in half to fit in the smaller gaps. You can get as creative as you like with your arrangement of the lady fingers!
   

   

   

   

   
5. Once all the layers are arranged, finish off with the final layer of the mix. If you have run short, then you can always whip some more cream and do a final layer of cream on top. Sift some fine cocoa powder on top. Chill at least 8 hours or overnight. This is a great make-ahead dessert!

Happy Thanksgiving!