Instant Tiramisu

I don't know if it's even fair to write a review for this since I ended up changing it so much (since ladyfingers just didn't fit my budget), but whatever the heck I made was outstanding. Using a 9X13'' pan, I sliced up 1 angel food cake and laid it in the pan, drizzled til evenly coated with Kahlua, then layered with 1/2 of a combo of 1 brick of cream cheese/ 1 small carton ricotta/ 1 small tub Cool Whip/ about .75 cup sugar. Then layered again with another angel food cake, Kahlua sliced with espresso, and the rest of the cream mix. I then chopped up 2 frozen Hershey's dark chocolate bars and sprinkled on top. This easily made 12 hearty servings (served at a dinner party) and was VERY well received. Thanks for the inspiration!! :) :) :)

For the most part I loved this recipe and served it for dessert at a girls' dinner party where we all brought healthy-ish dishes. We all agreed that the Kahlua was too much though. So I made it again and used a lot less Kahlua and added about 1-2 cups of coffee and loved it. I agree that the ladyfingers need to soak a lot longer, so the second time I waited a while before serving and it was great. A much healthier, lighter version of tiramisu, but still very satisfying and delicious.

I made this recipe but doctored it a bit based on the other reviews. I had a hard time splitting the cookies, soaking the cookies, and spreading the cheese mixture--the recipe didn't seem to have enough of any ingredients (except the ladyfingers)--so here's what I did: mixed 1/2 cup milk with the 1/2 cup Kahlua (to get more moisture without changing the flavor) and added 1/2 tub (4 oz, I guess?) of fat-free Cool Whip to the cheese mixture to help it spread more easily. It turned out creamy and delicious. Yum!

This is a great easy way to prepare tiramisu-- and always well loved...

This recipe came together quickly. I did add vanilla to cream for some flavor. I was able to find ladyfingers in my grocer's freezer that were already sliced lengthwise, so that made prep a breeze. I also made it a night ahead so ladyfingers could steep in the flavors. The Kahlua flavor is strong, but not overpowering. The final result is not as rich and decadant (or as heavy and calorie-laden) as traditional tiramisu, but it certainly doesn't scream "light recipe" and it's really quite excellent for the amount of time it take to prepare. I would make it again.