EASY TIRAMISU

Steps:

• 1. You will need: Chill two medium mixing bowls, 2 cups really strong coffee COOLED (or regular coffee with about 3 oz espresso) in a bowl or pan with enough room to dip lady fingers in.Mixer, Rubber spatula, Measuring spoons, 1 cup measuring cup, 1 small bowl, Duster, shaker or sifter (for cocoa powder...you can just gently shake the cocoa powder can or if you don't have a shaker, sprinkle with fingers), 8x8 pan (glass or plastic preferred over metal).
• 2. 1lb tub Mascarpone cheese (check in deli/Italian cheese area of store), 1 1/4 cup of heavy cream, ¾ cup granulated sugar (adjust to taste), 4 tablespoons Amaretto (this is my preference, but you could use rum, brandy or for the kids 1/2 tsp almond extract if you prefer), 26 ladyfingers (bakery or baked goods area in grocery store...not a big department store with a grocery store in it.), About ½ - ¾ cup cocoa powder (depending on your liking), 2 oz shaved unsweetened dark chocolate for garnish (baking section of grocery store).
• 3. Directions: Whip 1 1/4 cup heavy cream in chilled mixing bowl with mixer for about 1 min on speed one, 2 min on speed two and about 2 min on speed 3 (mixer speeds vary so whip until fluffy and not wet or too stiff)
• 4. Stir mascarpone cheese gently from bottom in tub until no longer runny. Then put cheese, ¾ cup sugar, 4 tbl sp Amaretto (to taste) into second chilled mixing bowl and mix with mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Adjust alcohol and sugar to your liking.
• 5. With a rubber spatula fold the whip cream a third at a time into the bowl with the cheese and gently mix by turning over
• 6. Quickly dip ladyfingers (one in each hand) into cooled coffee. Just a light dip on each side is plenty. Then give a few gentle shakes to drain excess coffee off. If you soak them to much they will fall apart or bleed out and make a coffee puddle in the bottom of your pan (not good). Line bottom of pan with half of the lady fingers (I like to squeeze in as many as will fit) and note which direction you put them in.
• 7. Put half the cheese mixture on top of lady fingers and smooth lightly (don't smash it down) to cover all areas corner to corner.
• 8. Dust with cocoa powder corner to corner until there is no white area showing.
• 9. Dip, shake and drain the rest of the ladyfingers and lay in pan in the opposite pattern you laid the first set.
• 10. Spread remainder of the cheese mixture gently over ladyfingers corner to corner (don't smash it down).
• 11. Dust with cocoa powder until no white area is showing.
• 12. Shave unsweetened dark chocolate into a small bowl with potato peeler until you have enough to sprinkle over the top (covering most of the top but not completely coating it) and enough to wrap in the bowl to save for a serving garnish.
• 13. Cover in plastic wrap and chill at least 4 hours (I prefer to let sit overnight).
• 14. When serving, cut with spatula and serve on a plate with some chocolate shavings sprinkled on it (if you saved any). Buon appetito!