Tiramisu

Look at that! Now this is a really beautiful desert. Oh, do I love Tiramisu. Look at those gorgeous layers, just perfect. The espresso is just soaked in enough to leave that beautiful centre of sponge finger in the middle. This recipe has come from Stephanie Alexander, The cook's companion, with just a little tweaking from me. The recipe states to allow it to sit in the refrigerator for at least two hours, but I leave mine in overnight. It just gets better the next day. All those flavours just seem to enhance and meld together for maxium enjoyment. Gotta love it and you just have to try it. Another classic recipe.

• 6 eggs separated
• 2 tablespoons of castor sugar (or more if you have a sweet tooth, which I do)
• 500 g mascarpone
• 1/4 cup of cherry brandy
• 1 cup of espresso cooled (now this is the recipe, but I find that you need at least 400 ml to get the job done)
• 24 sponge finger biscuits
• good quality dark chocolate for grating over the top

Select a 2 litre rectangular dish that is at least 8 cm deep. Beat egg yolks with sugar until thick and pale, then mix with the mascarpone. Whip egg whites to stiff peaks and fold into mascarpone mixture. Combine cherry brandy and espresso and dip sponge fingers into liquid. Layer the biscuits in the dish then the mascarpone mixture, then another layer of dipped biscuits finishing with another layer of mascarpone mixture. I used a deeper dish and made three layers. Grate chocolate over the top using a micro plane. Refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight.

That's it, simple.

Enjoy! I do on a regular basis ;)