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.

Tantalising Tiramisu

Easy  Biscuit Pudding

Something went wrong with my computer and was unable to access my blog.  So have not posted the recipes I intended for October.  Am now using Ranita's laptop.  What a relief to be able to do one of my favourite weekly activities.  This recipe is absolutely wonderful and a knock out for parties when you have a lot to do. It was sms'd by a friend a while ago and I saved it for a very special occasion.  Jayanthi Dhanaraj & Kenneth Pichamuthu, this one is for you.

The Recipe

One large beautiful bowl; 17 Marie Biscuits; 250 gms cream cheese; 250 gms whipped cream; caster sugar to taste; 2 dsp Nescafe dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water with 2 tsp sugar added to it; whole almonds for garnish.

Beat the whipped cream, cream cheese and sugar (to taste) together.  Keep aside.  Dip 6 of the biscuits in the Nescafe and place in a layer at the bottom of the bowl.  Pour half of the beaten mixture over and repeat with 6 more biscuits making two layers.  Top with remaining biscuits and garnish with almonds. Drizzle remaining Nescafe over the top.  Keep in refrigerator to set overnight.  Can have as many layers as desired.

Tastes wonderful and looks good too.

Tiramisu Happiness

18th Birthday Special

My baby girl has grown up. Gone are the days when she coaxed me to bake dinosaurs, horses, cats and other such animal delectables. Nowadays it is Black forest, designer shoes, pocket money and the like. Her 18th birthday demanded something very special for a very special girl, so Serita & I went through many recipes before deciding on the one and only 18th birthday cake. Since all of us detest raw eggs it had to be an eggless Tiramisu and we finally found the Queen of all recipes. Serita is an adept cook and so I left it all to her. For once all I had to do was help finish the cake. Viva la Ranita. May you grow in grace & beauty and may you be a shining name.

The Recipe

1 tbsp Nescafe Classic
1/2 cup hot water
1/4 cup white Jamaican rum (optional)
1/4 cup whipped cream
2 Tbsp icing sugar
500 gms Mascarpone cheese
20 sponge finger biscuits
2 tbsp chocolate chips
cocoa powder, for garnish(Optional)


Dissolve instant coffee powder in hot water. Let cool. Stir in half of the rum and chill in fridge.
Beat cream and icing sugar mixture in a large bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Fold in mascarpone and remaining rum.
Dip 10 of the sponge finger biscuits, one at a time, into the coffee mixture and arrange as a single layer on a 8 cm deep serving dish.
Spread half the cream mixture on top of the first layer of biscuits.
Dip remaining biscuits in coffee mixture, arrange over cream layer.
Spread remaining cream mixture on top of the second layer of biscuits.
Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate for about 6 hours. Garnish with cocoa powder if desired.
(I did not). Used grated pink chocolate instead.