My Current Favorite Dessert

Okay, I have to admit I am still of the opinion that there needs to be something sweet at the end of dinner. I can't help it but life is sweeter with dessert.

This recipe is currently my very favorite. And for a multitude of reasons. For one thing it can be made with things that are always in my kitchen. Secondly it is so easy I can practically make it in my sleep and in in under about 3 minutes. And the main reason it just tastes fantastic!

So yeah, this isn't really Tiramisu, it is close but not exactly. It however tastes just as good and is much easier to make.

I have no idea where I got this recipe in the first place. I recently found a scrap of paper in one of my cookbooks. I had torn this recipe out of a magazine at some point to try and then stuffed it between the pages of a cookbook as a bookmark. I had then forgotten about it. When I found it recently I decided to play around with it. I changed a couple of things from that original recipe both in the way I make it and in the ingredients list. I love how my version tastes and that is what I am sharing here.

The ingredients list is for one dish of dessert and you can scale this one up to make as many as you want. I usually make mine while I am cooking dinner and then put it in the fridge for an hour or so. Then it is ready for me when I am ready for it. If you want to make more than one dish just set out the dishes on the counter and work assembly line style. I tried making two at one time but found it was difficult to evenly divide the ingredients between the dishes. Because we are working with small quantities if you are off a bit (especially on the ratio of cookie crumbs to liquid) it is going to affect the finished dessert. So how I do it is I put the 5 cookies in the bag smash them and put them in the first dish. Then I repeat however many times I need to. Then I mix the liquid for the first dish and add it, then repeat on down the line. It really is easier to do it this way.

Super Easy (almost) Tiramisu

5 Vanilla Wafers

1 Tablespoon hot water

½ teaspoon instant Espresso powder

½ Tablespoon (1 ½ teaspoons) coffee liqueur

1 snack sized (about 3 ½ oz.) ready to serve vanilla pudding

whipped cream (to garnish)

a dash of baking cocoa powder

Place the vanilla wafers inside a zip lock sandwich bag, seal and smash them to a fine crumb. Layer these crumbs in the bottom of your dessert dish.

Combine the hot water and Espresso powder until the powder dissolves add the liqueur. Pour this mixture evenly over the crumbs.

Top with the pudding and spread evenly.

At this point you can cover the dish and store it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

When you are ready to serve top with whipped cream and sprinkle with cocoa powder.

Now wasn't that one of the easiest desserts you have ever made? And it looks fancy and like you spent hours creating it. Don't tell anyone how easy it was, just let them think you worked for hours.