Saturday, October 29, 2011

Not Just Any Ice Cream Sundae

tiramisu sundaeIf you’re going to serve your guests, gasp!, ice cream when the first cold snap hits, it better be worth it! Trust me, this is not a picnic-summertime-all-American frozen treat. Tiramisu Sundaes lift dessert to another level altogether. (Trivia: Did you know that “tiramisu” literally means “lift me up”?)
Did I mention that this dessert requires no advance prep and can be put together while your guests are vegging on the couch watching the last game of the world series? Hey, the name may be Italian, but we do love our Texas baseball over here!
As much as I love cooking and baking, I also realize there are times when time is short and you need to be able to throw something truly scrumptious* together. Last minute should NOT mean second rate. By using the best possible ingredients and having fun with the presentation, you won’t need to apologize for a thing.
These have all the ingredients of traditional tiramisu: coffee, marsala, chocolate, mascarpone, and ladyfingers.
Tiramisu Sundaes
Coffee Ice Cream
Butter Pecan Ice Cream (You could also use an almond brickle flavor.)
1 container mascarpone cheese, mixed with 2 T. powdered sugar and beaten into 1 c. heavy cream, whipped. If mixture seems too thick, add more cream.
1/2 c. caramel sauce (I used Hershey’s) mixed with 2 T. Marsala , brushed onto cut sides of ladyfingers.
Dark chocolate shavings (I buy a block of Callebaut and keep it handy)
To assemble: I used straight sided mason jars, inspired by Jeni’s Ice Cream in Nashville. The sundaes are pretty to look at and the jars keep the layers together beautifully.   Layer 1 ladyfinger (both halves) in the bottom, topped with 1 scoop coffee ice cream, and a layer of whipped cream. Repeat the layers with the other flavor of ice cream and top with chocolate shavings.
Enjoy!
*Points to you if you can figure out which movie this comes from.