You can tiramisu me anytime baby!

My Mum makes the BEST tiramisu ever. E-VER. It was one of the first recipes that I wanted to make when I was in college. I remember asking my little sister to email me the recipe and she did a wonderful job doing so! Since then, I have made this recipe many times but ladies and gentlemen, Monday's tiramisu was the best I have ever made it. Mum - you would have been proud!! Perhaps it was because it was my birthday that day (uh-hum), or perhaps it was because I had just watched Sex in the City and was reveling in the joy of being back with 'my girls'. Not sure what propelled my wonderous cooking abilities on Monday but heck, I'm not going to ponder too hard because I'm too busy eating it!!

This really is my favorite desserts. I can't say it enough - it is just sooooo yummy!! I have to warn you that it's not like traditional tiramisu at all. There's no mascarpone cheese (and I like it better without it) and it has no biscotti. Rather my Mum came up with the ingeniuos idea of using chocolate cake making the idea of heaven melting in your mouth a reality! Please try this recipe out, even if you don't usually like tiramisu. This is everything that regular tiramisu isn't.

Mum - I've adapted it a little to what makes sense to me.

Also to everybody else - I use instant coffee in this recipe. That's all I had in college (no coffee machine back then) so I've stuck to using the same instant coffee. I'm scared of switching to fresh coffee as it may change the flavor. The recipe actually calls for coffee essence that I never really ever tried out. Again, in college, we didn't have glamorous coffee essence handy.

Rose's Heavenly Chocolate Tiramisu

2 oz icing sugar (confectionary sugar)
3 oz plain chocolate, grated
1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
2 tsps coffee essence - I don't use this so have some powdered instant coffee ready
Baked chocolate cake - from the box is fine, Devil's food cake works
1 lb full fat cream cheese chopped into inch pieces

1. In a large bowl, use an electric beater to beat the cream cheese, 2 oz of the confectionary sugar, 2 oz of the grated chocolate until smooth and fluffy. This takes a while.

2. Fill a third of a coffee mug with water. Add 2 tsps of instant coffee and a teaspoon of sugar. Heat in the microwave and stir. Add half of this into the cream cheese mixture and beat again.

3. In a small bowl beat the whipping cream until still peaks form. It's easier to use the electric beater.

4. Carefully fold the whipping cream into the cream cheese mixture.

5. Cut half of the chocolate cake into 3 inch long and 1 inch wide pieces. Make sure the slices are fairly thin - about a centimeter. You won't need to use all of the chocolate cake.

6. Make another mug of the instant coffee (see step 2) and pour into a low bowl. Cool with an ice-cube so the coffee isn't so hot.

7. Get a large dessert bowl. Take a slice of the chocolate cake and dip one side lightly into the coffee and then place in the bottom of the bowl. Continue until you have one flat layer of the coffee dipped chocolate cake. Then add a layer of the cream cheese mixture, about an inch thick. Continue with another layer of the coffee dipped chocolate cake. Then one more layer of the cream cheese mixure. You shouldn't need any more layers.

8. Finish with sprinkling grated chocolate on the top and refridgerate. My Mum would also whip additional heavy cream with some icing sugar to make little whipped cream decorations on top. That will look great for guests!

Enjoy!!!