Tasty Tiramisu

I invited my friends for dinner the other night. I need to make a cool sophisticated grown up dessert. So I decided on Tiramisu. My aunt shared this recipe with me and I have used it many times. It is great because you can make it ahead of time and it is super easy to make. There is no baking involved, so I say 'let's make it delicious'. 

First layer of finger biscuits

First layer of mixture

Second layer of biscuits

Second layer of mixture with cocoa sprinkled over the top

 

My friends 'stuffing' their faces with the delicious Tiramisu

Tiramisu 

(I halved this mixture, to make it for only 5 people)

Ingredients:

4 egg yolks

4 egg whites

8 Tbsp sugar

2 tsp vanilla

2x 500g mascarpone cheese

100ml Tia Maria/ Brandy

4 cups black coffee, cooled

2 packets finger biscuits

Cocoa

Method:

1. Blend yolks and sugar until creamy (a long time) and add vanilla, mix well.

2. Add mascarpone and fold in gently.

3. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold them into the mixture gently.

4. Combine Coffee and Tia Maria/Brandy.

5. Dip biscuits in coffee mix and line the bottom of the dish (about 30 x 20 cm).

6. Cover with half the mascarpone mixture.

7. Repeat layers.

8. Sprinkle cocoa over top using a sifter. Cover with a piece of plastic.

9. Freeze. Defrost for 2-3 hours.



hey I heard you were a wild one

So I have a confession to make. I got a gun. An icing gun.Well technically it is a cookie press and icing gun. It is so shiny and pretty and amazing. Most importantly I was so very excited to use it.

I got to use it when I made my sister (Vanessa) a Birthday Cake for her 25th Birthday (wow some people are growing up so quickly). I decided to make her a white chocolate and macadamia nut cake. To top it off I decided to decorate the cake in animal print. I am unsure whether is is leopard or cheetah print. Either way I made a cake suitable for a wild one.

The ingredients that make the magic happen: White Chocolate and Macadamia Nuts- YUMMY!

Fold the nuts and chocolate into the mixture.

Swiss Meringue Frosting- Too delicious for words. 

To decorate the cake I melted the chocolate and used my icing gun to 'draw' on the spots.

Then I mixed a little bit of the melted chocolate into the left over Swiss meringue frosting to make the filling for the inside of the spots. I used a miniature spatula to spread the filling in the spots.

Chocolate Malted Puffs that I used to stick around the base of the cake.

So, So, So Delicious.

White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Cake:

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
3 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
2 1/3 cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla essence
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups white chocolate, chopped
1 cup toasted macadamia nuts

Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 C. 
2. Butter three 20cm round cake pans.
3. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
4. Beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and then the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Add one-third of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until mixed in. Add half of the buttermilk and mix until mixed in. Continue adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk, alternating between the two and ending with the flour.
6. Fold in the white chocolate and macadamia nuts.
7. Divide the cake batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Level the batter with a spatula.
8. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes total.
9. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from the pans and allow to cool completely on the racks.

Swiss Meringue Frosting:
I used this recipe.