They Loved the Tiramisu

We were invited out for lunch on Rosh HaShana. I brought pareve tiramisu for dessert, and it was very well received. I expected the adults to like it, but, much to my surprise, the kids all loved it and asked for seconds.

In an ideal world, I would rework the recipe to make it more wholesome. Instead of Rich’s Whip and Tofutti cream cheese, I would use silken tofu. And of course the instant pudding mix would have to go. But, it is a special occasion dessert, not an everyday main dish. It is yummy and easy and not everything has to be super-healthy all the time.

Pareve Tiramisu (adapted from Netivot’s cookbook Gatherings)

Creamy cheese mixture:
Two 8 ounce packages Tofutti “cream cheese”
1 package instant vanilla pudding mix
1/2 cup of powdered sugar
1 Tbl. vanilla extract
1 pint Rich’s Whip pareve whipping cream

Coffee mixture:
1/2 cup warm water
2 tsp. instant coffee powder
1 Tbl. vanilla
1 Tbl. liqueur, orange juice, or more vanilla

24 crisp ladyfinger cookies

cocoa powder and grated chocolate, for garnish

Whip the Rich’s Whip until stiff. Set aside 1 cup of the whipped cream. To remaining whipped cream, add the “cream cheese,” pudding mix, powdered sugar, and vanilla.

Combine the coffee mixture ingredients in a small bowl.

Now, it is just assembly. Select your serving dish. It could be a trifle dish or a glass casserole. I used a foil pan because I was taking it to someone house.

Set aside 12 cookies for the bottom layer. Dip the briefly in the coffee mixture and lay them out on the bottom of the serving dish. Spread over half the creamy cheese mixture. Add another layer of 12 coffee dipped cookies and spread over the remaining creamy cheese mixture. Spread on top the reserved whipped cream. Garnish by sifting cocoa powder over the top and sprinkling over grated chocolate.

Tags: pareve, tiramisu