What should I call this Tiramisu inspired dessert? Because the Tiramisu aficionados and Italian Bakers will not be happy if I straight out call it Tiramisu. "Where is the Mascarpone Cheese? Seriously? Whipped cream?" What? No real liquor?" 🤭 But one thing's for sure - this delightfully cool and delicious dessert will have your family and friends coming back for seconds. Yes, even those sitting at the kids table! A big plus? It can be in made in advance. (It's actually recommended to be made a day in advance to allow all the deliciousness to bind). So there you have it - your next super easy dessert to make!
HERE'S A QUICK SUMMARY VIDEO:
COFFEE CUSTARD
300ml Water or Milk (See notes below)
4 TB Custard Powder (I used Foster Clark's from Cold Storage Supermarket)
1 Sachet of 3-in-1 Coffee or 2.5 TB (I used L'or Essenso Microground Coffee which is available at leading Supermarkets)
2 TB Sugar
2 TB Non-Dairy Creamer (Only if you are using water. If you are using milk instead of water, you omit this)
** Use Water instead of Milk and add the Non-Dairy Creamer for Lactose Intolerant friends and family)
COFFEE FOR SOAKING LADYFINGER SPONGE BISCUITS
1 Cup Hot Water
1.5 TB Instant Coffee (I use Decaf for this to make it kid friendly)
1TB Sugar
1.5 tsp Rum Essence ( I used Whittingtons Natural Rum Essence) **IMPORTANT NOTE: As the intensity and taste of Rum Essences/flavourings differ from brand to brand, it's best to add rum half a tsp at a time and to taste along the way to find your optimum amount that suits your taste )
WHIPPED CREAM
300ml Whipping Cream (I used Greenfields Whipping Cream)
1 Tb Icing Sugar
7" x 7" glass bowl
COFFEE CUSTARD
Pour all ingredients into a pot
Keep in mind that water or milk is room temperature or cooler. NOT boiling water.
Stir till Custard Powder is totally dissolved.
Put over medium and stir CONSTANTLY till the mixture is very thick
Pour out into bowl (shallow bowl is better as it cools down faster
Cover with cling wrap to prevent a hardened layer from forming
Let cool totally
WHIPPED CREAM
Add Icing Suger to whipped cream and beat till stiff peaks form.
** As it starts to thicken, it is important to stop at short intervals to test the thickness. Be careful not to overbeat your whipped cream. Once you cross the threshold, your cream will suddenly curdle. There's no saving it once this happens. You'll just have to throw it out and start again)
Leave in the fridge till the Coffee Custard cools down completely.
ASSEMBLE
Once the Whipped Cream Coffee Custard and the Coffee Mix is totally cooled down, you are ready to assemble
When the Coffee Custard cools down completely, fold it into the Whipped Cream
Put in fridge till you are ready to assemble your dessert
Pour Coffee Mix into a shallow dish to make dipping easy.
Dip Biscuits into Coffee Mix and line the glass dish (Or any dish, but glass is prettier cos you can see the layers from the outside)
Important Note when dipping biscuits in the coffee mix - it has to be a superfast Dip, Flip and Dip the other side, otherwise the biscuits will be soggy. Each biscuits should only hold a thin layer of coffee on each side and should never be soaked through
Top with a layer of the Coffee Custard Cream
Repeat with biscuits and another layer of Coffee Custard Cream
Return to fridge covered
When ready to serve, dust the top with Cocoa Powder. I chose to top mine with Milo Powder cos we can't get enough of Milo in my household.
For added convenience, I sometimes choose to scoop out each serving into a bowl or mug instead of square slices. Your call.
And Finally...... ENJOY!!
Bon Apetit!!