Olive Garden Tiramisu

In Italian, tiramisu means “pick me up” or “cheer me up.” And when you taste the delicious combination of mascarpone cheese (sometimes referred to as Italian cream cheese), cream cheese, ladyfingers, espresso and Kahlua it will be hard not to smile. Olive Garden’s tiramisu is very dense, which sets it apart from most tiramisu recipes that require the cheese mixture to be folded into whipped cream. This technique, however, makes a tiramisu that is too fluffy and light to be a decent clone. Besides, the whipped cream hides the cheese flavors, and that’s just not a good way to make this tiramisu. So get out your double boiler for the egg yolks (a metal bowl over a saucepan of simmering water will also do) and snag some ladyfingers (ladyfingers are miniature cakes about the size of two fingers side-by-side). You can either make your own espresso, use extra strong coffee as a substitute, or, next time you’re at Starbucks, order up a quadruple shot of espresso to go.

MAKES 9 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups mascarpone cheese
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 20 to 24 ladyfingers
• ½ cup cold espresso
• ¼ cup Kahlua coffee liqueur
• 2 teaspoons cocoa powder

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water and bring it to a boil over medium/high heat. Then, reduce the heat to a simmer. In a medium metal bowl, whisk together egg yolks, milk, and sugar. Place the bowl on top of the saucepan (or use a double boiler) and stir the mixture often for 8 to 10 minutes or until it thickens. Remove the bowl from the heat, and add the 2 cups of mascarpone cheese and vanilla. Whisk the cheese until smooth.
2. In a separate bowl, whip the cream with an electric mixer until thick.
3. Slowly fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture until completely incorporated, being careful not to overmix.
4. In a large, shallow bowl, combine the espresso and Kahlua. Quickly dip each ladyfinger into the espresso mixture, one by one. Arrange half of the dipped ladyfingers side-by-side on the bottom of an 8×8-inch serving dish or baking pan.
5. Spoon about half of the cheese mixture over the ladyfingers, then add another layer of soaked ladyfingers on top.
6. Spoon the remaining cheese mixture over the second layer of ladyfingers and spread it evenly.
7. Place two teaspoons of cocoa powder in a tight-mesh strainer and gently tap the side of the strainer to dust the top of the dessert evenly with cocoa powder.
8. Cover the dish and chill for several hours. To serve, slice the dessert twice across and down, creating 9 even portions. The first serving might be a bit challenging to get out, but don’t worry about its appearance.