Tie Me a Shoe? I mean...Tiramisu

My addiction to the Food Network and other culinary related programming has only grown since the school year has ended and I have been home. Not only have I realized how much I love American cooking shows, but I love Indian and Spanish (lolz 10+ years of Spanish coming in handy) programming as well. When I turn on the TV, the first few channels I visit are those that host my favorite cooking shows. Recently, I was watching Bobby Deen's show entitled Not My Mama's Meals - a spinoff of any show Paula Deen has ever hosted. (Bobby is the son of the infamous Paula) He manages to mimic his mothers recipes in a much healthier and modernized fashion. 
In this episode, Bobby took his mothers tiramisu recipes which uses more than 1 cup of sugar and multiple eggs and made it his own by lowering the amount of sugar and removing all eggs. I love this; being a vegetarian household that also does not allow eggs through the front door - its a struggle sometimes to make a dessert or any dish that requires egg substitution because the it just isn't the same.
So I used this recipe as my inspiration even though I changed some stuff around to make it work for those who would be eating it: my family!

• 8 ounces low-fat cream cheese 
• 4 ounces mascarpone
• 1/3 cup sugar
  
• 1/4 cup brown sugar 
• 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (pref in chips or coin form)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• 2 dozen ladyfingers
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (to make whipped cream)
• 2 teaspoons espresso (for the whipped cream

 Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature (besides the heavy cream because thats just nasty). In a large bowl mix together your cream cheese, mascarpone and sugars all together. In order to melt the chocolate, you can either throw it in the microwave or create a double boiler. I made a double boiler just so that I could properly watch the chocolate melting. In order to make a double boiler have about half a cup of water in a pot and have your chocolate in a bowl on top - let it melt on its through the heat coming from the boiling of the water, keep the heat low. While that continues to happen, make sure you grease your pan or whatever dish you are choosing you use. Since you are not baking this dessert, it doesn't make a huge difference as to what pan you are using. Then you can start layering the first layer of your lady fingers, make sure it is even as this will make it easier when spreading the filling.

After incorporating the chocolate into your cheese and sugar mixture, don't forget to add the vanilla extract! Once everything is ready, start layering the filling on top of the lady fingers, then continue the second layer of lady fingers and the second layer of filling. Make it as clean or as messy as you want it to be, it will still taste delicious - I PROMISE! Keep the tiramisu in the fridge overnight or for at minimum a few hours for everything to soak in and firm up. The whipped cream is totally optional but there is a little less sugar in this dessert than normally expected of desserts so I decided to make it. Using 1/2 cup of heavy cream and a hand mixer, just whip. Whip it until you can create peaks or take a spoonful and flip it over - if it doesn't fall or slide off - you have made a great whipped cream! I added some espresso to mine to make it more coffee-like as a typical tiramisu is.

 I hope everything works out for you and whoever you feed it too loves it as much as my family did! Happy cooking! :)