The cheat's Tiramisu

Last week I reinvigorated my cake decorating skills to make a three layer (single tier) birthday cake for two colleagues. There was plenty of left over sponge, and that sponge which had been trimmed to level off each layer. So, rather than waste it, I froze it, figuring I'd find something to make with it at a later day. Well that day came today.

I've always been a fan of a rich, strong Tiramisu, but I rarely have the time or inclination to make a full dish from scratch. So if you're like me and want to find the quick and easy way to make things, here's the recipe (minus quantities as I do!) for you!

Brew some good quality coffee and allow it go cold. Mix in some Frangelico and Kahlua to taste.

Tear off a chunk of the sponge and place in the bottom of the bowl/glass. Pour over some of the coffee mixture to allow the sponge to go nice and soggy. Add some crumbled bits of Milk Coffee biscuits on top (I was hoping this would add some crunch to the Tiramisu but it just added to the sponge density with the absorption of the coffee - oh well).

Using Philadelphia Cream for Desserts, spread a nice even layer over the top of the sponge/biscuit. Pour a little coffee mixutre on top to ensure the flavour is strong.

Repeat the process starting with another layer of sponge, and finally finish with Cream and some crumbled biscuit and sponge bits.

Dig in and enjoy!

Yuen's Haul

In my last blog post, about Malaya Corner, I mentioned doing some Asian Grocery shopping at Sunnybank. The main grocery store there is Yuen's... a treasure trove of goodies in strange packaging and the occasional purchasing mistake!

Most recently I collected some of the following sweet treats:

Green Tea Oreos - these are like the Vanilla Ice Cream versions we have in Australia, with that menthol buzz to the mouth, but also an underlying matcha flavour

Mochi - usually I pick up a variety of sesame, taro, fruit flavours and chocolate mochi

Pocky (and in this instance, the Pandaroo version "Stix") - I couldn't find any mango or green tea mousse this time, but thought a bit more of a decadent version would suffice - the double chocolate (chocolate stick dipped in chocolate.) For the record the Stix are nowhere near as nice as the original Pocky.

A packet of Pandan Pudding mixture also made its way in to the shopping haul this time. The pudding mix required combining with boiling water then refrigerating in desired moulds. As this was being served for dessert, it was pleasantly set in Martini glasses.

The pudding had a lovely coconut flavour without being excessively sweet and a blanc mange texture, albeit slightly more gelatinous. For added taste and texture, coconut jelly cubes were added. Oh yes, and the pudding was a distinctive green colour!