Tiramisu - 4g

Just a forewarning:

**This recipe is not for the faint of heart**

It's not some 'fake' tiramisu/low carb/low calorie 'knock-off'. This is legit.

And just like any little old Italian grandmother will tell you, "Cooking is a form of art," or "Anything worth doing is worth doing right," or "You can't make an omelet without breaking eggs" (I looked that last one up).

Cue the classic Italian music. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZo0G3_DfdI

The honest truth? This tiramisu took me about an hour and a half - from start to finish. And then it has to chill for at least 4 hours. Find a friend who likes doing the dishes, and invite him over...

But coming in at only 250 calories and 4 grams of carbs, I'd say "It's worth it!" (since I'm on a quote roll). Makes 9 servings.

To start, follow the Best 'Bread' recipe, and add:

1/4 C Splenda
1 tsp vanilla
4 tbsp instant espresso (could use coffee, but then you'll need more)

to the yolk & cream cheese and blend. Fold it all together (with the egg whites) and spread it all out on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Bake as you would a sheet cake - for 30 minutes at 300 degrees.  When the 30 minutes are up, take the cake out, and break it into smaller pieces. *If you're a planner, break them into quarters that will fit nicely in the bottom of your 8x8 baking dish for later...  And bake the pieces again for another 5-7 minutes. Remove and set to the side.

~Layers~

Ingredients:
4 egg yolks
8 tsp Splenda
1/3 C almond/coconut milk blend - unsweetened (or just almond milk)
8 oz. mascarpone cheese - room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 C heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp instant espresso
1/4 Splenda

1 oz (shot) of dark rum
1 tbsp instant espresso

1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

In a sauce pan over medium heat, whisk together the yolks, splenda and milk. Whisk constantly for about 5 minutes or more.  The mixture in the pan will begin to take on a thicker, fluffier consistency - almost like that of a mustard. *WHISK CONSTANTLY - you don't want your egg yolks to turn into scrambled eggs here... Remove from the heat once it thickens a bit - mine took about 5 or 6 minutes to do so - and set in a bowl in the refrigerator or freezer to cool for 20-30 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the heavy cream on high until it has the consistency of whipped cream. Add the vanilla extract, beat some more, and set half of the cream aside.  With the remaining whipped cream, add the instant espresso and blend. LAST (very important that you do this right at the end - there's some kind of chemistry that goes on between splenda & cream), add 1/2 of your splenda, mix for another 30 seconds, and set aside. Add the remaining splenda to the other half of the whipped cream and incorporate it thoroughly.

Once the yolk mixture has cooled, add the room temperature mascarpone cheese & vanilla extract and blend well. Set aside. *I'd suggest adding a little more splenda here, maybe 3 tbsp worth?*

~LAYERING~



In an 8x8 baking dish, lay down your first layer of coffee 'bread'. (Make sure the bread has completely cooked, and you don't have a moist center to your pieces - if the case is so, bake them a little longer).

If you can, I'd suggest using larger pieces than the ones shown above.

When making tiramisu with lady fingers, the recipe calls for you to dunk the lady fingers in a blend of coffee & liqueur, but since this is a carb-less version, and I'm not sure how the 'bread' would hold up to dunking, I'd suggest using a spray bottle here to spritz.  If you don't have a spray bottle, you can also use a brush.

In a spray bottle, mix 1 shot of dark rum and 1 tbsp of instant espresso.  Spritz the top of the first layer of bread until each piece is covered.

Now add a layer of the mascarpone mixture,

the coffee whipped cream, 

and then the regular whipped cream.

Repeat with the remaining bread & cream. You should have enough for 2 layers, total. Dust the top layer with the cocoa powder - using a sifter if you have one. If not, get creative.  I had a roll of 'screen' (for a window/door) in my garage, and i just cut a piece off and folded it in half:

Your job is done! Now just chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight. The longer you let it set, the better this will be.  I think next time I'll add more splenda to the whipped cream - it could have done with a touch more sweet! Other than that, it tasted just like the real thing!