Tiramisu

Ah I told you, med school would catch up with me.  I'm sorry for the late post...I meant this to be done by Valentine's Day as a dessert for you and your sweetie, but you know, 13 hour days of rounding, rounding, rounding leaves little time for blogging.

Would you like a quick synopsis of my neuro rotation?  It's a consult service, which means we get a list every day of patients that someone thinks need to be seen by us (and I use the term "us" loosely).  They give us new patients, and follow-ups from yesterday, and send us out into the wild.  I go all over that sprawling hospital.  One unit, called the ASHU (say it, don't spell it.  I say, "getsundheit" everytime a resident says we're going there) is basically in Springfield, IL (literally, a 15 minute walk from anywhere else in the hospital).  We, the lowly third year medical students are the consults, and trust me, this was comical on my first day (HOW do I check reflexes again?  What do you mean, "where is the stroke?"  Somewhere in his brain, I guess?!?).  Then we meet up with our residents and attendings (the people with any knowledge and power) and round...for the next 8-10 hours).  Round means walk around and see patients.  I have 6.5 days left.  I'm not counting though...

Anyway, who loves tiramisu?  It is a classic Italian dessert that means "pick-me-up", and rum/coffee soaked lady fingers should do that!  By the way, lady fingers are little spongy cookies you can buy in the bakery department of your grocery store.  Just ask if you can't find them.  Yes, you need them to make this, and no, you can't use oreos or something.

This dessert actually gets better the next day, so feel free to make it ahead!  I've also lightened it up...original recipes call for mascarpone cheese, which you can find in your regular grocery store, but it's full fat, and in the interest of saving my young arteries, I thought I'd try it with fat free cream cheese (but I kept the egg yolks...those are good for your hair :)  It worked really well!!!

On another side note, check out this little turkey...I'm working on a rag blanket, using my fancy dancy sewing machine, and I was trying to cut out the fleece portion.  She decided it was too snuggly to pass up, and laid right in the middle.  She did sit up for a picture though.

Tiramisu
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup brewed, cooled coffee
12 oz fat free cream cheese
1 vanilla bean, seeded
2 Tbsp rum/Kahlua, etc
2 packages Lady Finger cookies
1 dark chocolate bar, finely chopped
Cocoa powder, for dusting

In an stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg yolks and sugar for 5 minutes until pale.  Whip in 1 Tbsp coffee, vanilla, and vanilla bean.  Beat in cream cheese until smooth.

In a shallow dish, combine remaining coffee and rum.  Get an 8x8 or 9x9 pan out, and dip lady fingers in coffee mixture for 1-2 seconds (don't let get too soggy!).  Place in the bottom of the pan to form one layer.  Add half of the cream cheese mixture and spread evenly.  Top with half the chocolate bar.  Repeat with lady fingers and top with remaining cream cheese mixture.  Top the whole thing with remaining chocolate and dust with cocoa powder in a sieve.  Refrigerate at least 2 hours, then serve!