Recipe: No-Holds-Barred Tiramisu

Here's a recipe for tiramisu from our dairy-happy cordon bleu cooking teacher. It even makes native Italians happy. Holy Hootenanny!

No-Holds-Barred Tiramisu

Serves 4-6, depending

Ingredients

2 packets of Italian sponge fingers

375g dark chocolate

375ml cream

4 tablespoons instant coffee (the Good stuff.  No International Roast.  Don't even think about it.)

5 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla essence

180 ml Irish Baileys (or cheaper equivalent - i.e. Erin Cream)

600ml cream

cocoa powder for dusting

Place the chocolate and 375ml of cream in the microwave and heat until the chocolate has melted.  Stir until it combines to form a ganache.

Place 4 tablespoons of instant coffee in a coffee-cup. Fill the cup 3/4 full with hot water, add 2 tablespoons of sugar and stir till coffee and sugar are dissolved.

Whip 600ml cream with 1 tablespoon of vanilla essence and 5 tablespoons of sugar until firm peaks form.

In a deep tray, layer:

Drizzle of chocolate ganache

Layer of sponge fingers

1/2 coffee mixture

Drizzle of chocolate ganache

1/4 bottle of liqueur

Layer of whipped cream (about 1/3 of whipped cream)

Repeat Layering. Top the confection with the remaining cream - enough to create a 'mask' over the dish - a thick firm layer that does not show the contours of the dish below.

Through a small sieve, dust the tray with cocoa powder.

Refrigerate.  Serve chilled.  If you're like me, make sure you have your Lactaid (TM) tablets in your pocket because you ARE going to get a wicked stomach ache.  Halleluiah!