tiramisu

My uncle is going through a serious illness right now and I wanted to do something special for him. Over the weekend, I made him a batch of shrimp bisque and cheddar garlic biscuits, along with tiramisu for dessert.  It was nice to be able to do something for him and have a chance to visit with him and my aunt. I am not a person who does well with illnesses, so this was kind of a big step for me.

I used a different recipe than my usual because I didn't want to risk my uncle having uncooked egg yolks. I also used Kahlua instead of rum, which I think gives a much better flavor. 

Did you know that tiramisu actually means "pick me up"?  That's because it truly does just that.    

Tiramisu
6 egg yolks
3/4 cup white sugar
2/3 cup milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup strong coffee
1/4 cup kahlua
Ladyfinger cookies (about 48)
unsweetened cocoa powder

In a medium saucepan, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until well blended. Whisk in milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Boil gently for 1 minute, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Cover tightly and chill in refrigerator 1 hour. 

In a medium bowl, beat cream with vanilla until stiff peaks form. Whisk mascarpone into yolk mixture until smooth. In a small bowl, combine coffee and kahlua. Dip each ladyfinger in coffee/kahlua mixture about 3 seconds. Arrange half of soaked ladyfingers in bottom of a 7x11 inch dish. Spread half of mascarpone mixture over ladyfingers, then half of whipped cream over that. Repeat layers and sprinkle with cocoa. Cover and refrigerate 4 to 6 hours, until set.