Tiramisu

I made this dessert because I was craving for it and none of the commercially-available ones satisfied me. Traditional tiramisu uses mascarpone cheese. However, that's quite expensive here in Manila so for this recipe, I used cream cheese.

This is now a family favorite and what I bring to pot lucks. :-)

Ingredients:
250 - 300 g broas / lady fingers

Coffee mixture:
2 c strong coffee
1 oz rum, brandy or Kahlua
2 Tbsp sugar

Cream Cheese layer:
225 g cream / 1 brick, chilled and whipped
225 g cream cheese, room temp,whipped
1/4 c sugar

Cocoa powder for dusting



Directions:

1. Make strong coffee, add sugar and rum. Let cool and set aside.
2. Whip cream with half of the 1/4 c sugar until it doubles in volume.
3. In a separate bowl, whip the cream cheese with the rest of the 1/4 c sugar and 2 Tbsp of the coffee mixture.
4. Fold the cream cheese and whipped cream mixture together.

Assembly:

1. Prepare an assembly line of the broas, coffee mixture in a shallow bowl, cream mixture, a high-walled rectangular or square container with a cover.
2. Dip the lady fingers one at a time quickly in the coffee mixture - no more than 5 seconds or else it will crumble. Put a layer of broas down.
3. Spread a layer of the cream mixture and repeat a layer of coffee-dipped broas. Makes around 3 layers.
4. Dust the top with cocoa powder and/or chocolate shavings.