Queen Of Desserts

Hazelnut Tiramisu

What could be more relaxing than indulging in food cooked by none other than Serita,  the Queen Of Tiramisu?   That's what we did a week ago, thoroughly enjoying the experience.  Loaded with calories, cream, hazelnuts, cream cheese, rum and coffee, this is a dessert made in heaven for the brave hearted - read Herbalife users!!!

The Recipe:

12 sponge fingers; 1 x 50 gm sachet instant hazelnut coffee; 1 cup hot water; 3 dsp rum; 250 gms cream cheese at room temperature; 250 grams high fat cream; 50 gms of hazel nuts, crushed coarsely ; sugar to taste; cocoa for dusting on top.

Beat the cream cheese and cream together with the sugar to taste until smooth and thick.  Dissolve the hazelnut coffee in the cup of hot water.  Add the rum and mix well.  Soak the sponge fingers in the coffee - rum mixture and place 6 of them in a layer on the bottom of the glass dish.   Scatter half of the hazel nuts over the sponge fingers.  Pour half of the cream cheese mixture over the nuts ensuring an even layer.   Repeat the three layers again,   finishing with a dusting of cocoa on top.  Pour remaining coffee mixture over the sponge fingers before layering the cream cheese . Refrigerate overnight and serve cold after dinner.  A dessert made in heaven indeed.

The Fifth Recipe For Christmas

 Christmas Macaroons

I am always on the prowl for Macaroon Recipes which are absolutely a must for Christmas in our family. This year I made two kinds -  Walnut Macaroons with brown sugar and Coffee Macaroons with cashew nuts, which I know will go down well with the coffee addicts in our family. The Walnut Macaroons are nearly over and the Coffee Macaroons are hidden away.

Walnut Macaroons: 500 gms brown sugar, powdered in mixer with 18 cardamoms (seeds only); 1 ½ cups chopped walnuts; white of 2 medium sized eggs.
Mix the the sugar and nuts together. Add the egg white very slowly until the mixture becomes a dough like mass. Discard remaining egg white. Make into balls and bake 2 inches apart in preheated oven at 175C for 10 minutes or until puffed out and transluscent. Makes 50.

Coffee Macaroons: 500 gms coarse sugar, powdered in mixer with 18 cardamoms (seeds only); 1 ½ cups chopped cashewnuts; white of 2 medium sized eggs; 2 tsp Nescafe dissolved in 2 tbsp hot water.
Mix the the sugar and nuts together. Add thenescafe and mix well. Next add the egg white very slowly until the mixture becomes a dough like mass. Discard remaining egg white. Make into balls and bake 2 inches apart in preheated oven at 175 C for 10 minutes or until puffed out and translucent. Makes 50.