Luscious Raspberry Tiramisu

I've really loosened up since beginning this venture, this wonderful world of Jen's Dish has become a place for ideas and creations beyond what I thought the day I sat down and wrote my first post. I've taken to being really open to new and creative subliminal ideas planted in my mind by an array of fine chefs, as I read every cook book I can get my paws on, and look up online dishes that I think of off the top of my head, things i may have had once in a restaurant and just come back to me, or I am reminded by a small detail I see, hear, touch, or smell. Tiramisu is a tricky game to play as the combos need to be simple and elegant, much like myself, ha ha!!! Hippie girl gets simple and elegant....film at 11!!! Who would have thought a girl from such humble beginnings, a hippie kid running around the wilds of Big Sur, and Hawaii, sings the blues, does live theatre,works in the restaurant biz, Bartending, and happens to be a hell of a cook, years later ends up writing a blog on the internet, something until about 5 years ago I new nothing about, and until last year in Oct. while sitting in a movie theatre watching Julie and Julia, had no idea what blogging really was, as it's very much about life, your life my life, doesn't matter. It's about stories and recipes for me and the sweetest form of inspiration, a movie where this all formed in my head before the movie was even over, the main thing being, that I saw for the first time that Julia Child started her "working life" at about 40 yrs old and that it wasn't to late for me to do anything I set my mind to. It literally came over me like a wave, not just her story but the story of Julie as well, realizing her potential as a cook and a writer. My father was a writer and a very good one I might add, with many credits to his name, big ones like the Milton Berle, Andy Williams, and The Perry Como Show,and of course "Make Me Laugh" I mean a real live writer, and I wish he was around today to see my work as I feel he would kvell* over it!!! And speaking of kvelling that is how I feel about this creation.
This was absolutely, a five star experience for the tastebuds, some of it I took from a recipe I found, and of course just adjusted it to make it my own, as it had raw alcohol in it which i don't do, so I took out the alcohol by bringing it to a low boil, (and you can do this with any alcohol) and added a few twists.

Raspberry Tiramisu:

Have ready a deep glass bowl, or a 13x9x2"pan
3 cups Fresh Raspberries
1 cup seedless raspberry jam
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon juice
8 TBLS. Grand Marnier or Cointreau brought to a low simmer for 2 minutes, taking out the alcohol, leaving only the flavor behind ( even though I don't drink, I still never liked the taste of raw alcohol in this dessert) this will leave you with about 6 TBLS. If you like the taste, skip this step.
1 lb. Marscapone Cheese at room temperature
1 cup heavy cream 
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 packages ladyfinger cookies, about 48 cookies

Mix together, in bowl
Jam
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon juice
3 TBLS. Liquor


In a large bowl combine marscapone cheese, and other
3 TBLS. Liquor, until smooth.

In a large Mixing bowl put
1 cup heavy cream 
1 tsp. vanilla
and sugar
Beat on med high to high until soft peaks form.
Add 1/4 of the whipped cream to the marscapone and mix to lighten, then fold in the rest of the whipped cream.

Now to assemble:
Line the bottom of your dish with 1/3 ladyfingers or to cover bottom of dish

spread with 1/3 of jam mixture
then a layer of 1/3 marscapone and
1/3 of fresh raspberries,
repeat until all gone and make the top pretty with the best of the raspberries, atop the last layer of Marscapone!!!
This dessert is better left over night in the fridge, it should be made a day in advance. As it gets better the longer it sits!!!

*To kvell, is to be gushing with pride over a child's or family members accomplishment!

And as always, Enjoy!!!
LIVE,LOVE,LAUGH,COOK!!!
© Jennifer Green Alger 2010 VELL: To beam with pride and pleasure, Jewish parents are prone to kvell over their children's achievements. 

Brotha Bill's Chocolate 3 Layer Cake

Our father Morton Joseph Green or "Morty Joe" as I loved to call him had a insane love for chocolate cake, actually the frosting, I remember many a luncheon date at "The Cock & Bull" restaurant on Sunset Blvd. near Doheny Dr., where he would order this (what seems as a child) to be a mile high piece of chocolate cake that he would eat all the frosting off of and leave the cake sitting there all lonely on the plate, so feeling sorry for it I would gobble it up as fast as I could so it wouldn't feel bad!!! I remember after all these years that it was three layers high and just huge in every way, it came on a dinner plate, at least that's how my child's mind remembers it.
     Anyways, upon my most recent visit to San Rafael in Marin Co. to see my Brother Billy and his beautiful family, he announce's that he wants Chocolate Cake! With a lot of frosting, he says there's never enough frosting and that he wish's me to make one for him to which I lovingly reply "Why of course brotha dear!" in my finest british accent. And you my followers know when I say I'm gonna do it well by all means....I'm gonna do it! And so the search for a recipe I can make my own begins .....and of course I'm away from home so I don't have My homemade cookbook and all my other wonderful books but I do have a Bon Appetite magazine which just happens to have a whole story on the last 10 years of Chocolate Cakes published in the mag! What a coinky-dink! I pick the tallest one I can find as now he's got me thinking of our Daddy, and his love of this coveted cake! Oddly we even have to go to William Sonoma to find special pans to make the cake tall like he wants it! Apparently I will do anything for my brother still as when I was a child he was very much my hero and protector, and most of all, and most importantly my very best friend.

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake: (One of the best and moistest cakes you'll ever make)

3 oz bittersweet chocolate , (not to exceed 61%cacoa), chopped
3/4 cup cocoa powder, (use a good quality)
1 3/4 boiling water
2 3/4 all purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 1/3 cups Best Foods Mayo (not reduced calorie)
2 lg eggs
2 tsps. pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Frosting:
10 oz. Bittersweet Chocolate not to exceed 61%, chopped
3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 TBLS. pure vanilla extract

Preparation:
Cake:
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter and flour 3  8" round pans, w/ 1 1/2 inch sides.
Put chopped chocolate and cocoa in a bowl and pour boiling water over and mix well with a whisk until smooth.
Sift flour, baking soda and powder into another bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat both sugars and mayo in a large bowl until blended, 2 to 3 minutes until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time beating after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add flour and chocolate mixture in 3 parts each, alternately, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl. Divide batter evenly among prepared cake pans and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool in pans for 20 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack until completely cool.
Preperation:
Frosting:
Put chopped chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of boiling water, and melt stirring until smooth. Remove to cool until lukewarm, stirring occationally.
Using a electric mixer, beat butter till smooth and creamy. Sift powdered sugar over butter and beat until blended, about 2 minutes, beat in vanilla, add melted chocolate and mix until blended well, scraping down sides as you go.

Place 1 cake layer top side down on a cake plate (with a high topped dome), frost w/ 3/4 cup frosting and put another layer on and frost, place last layer on top, and frost top and sides of rest of cake as neatly as possible, (this cake is so moist you can also do this one day in advance).
Cut cake into wedges and serve.

And as always, Enjoy!!!
LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH, BAKE!!!
© Jennifer Green Alger 2010