Ready to start posting!!

SOOOOOOO starting a blog a month before the wedding was kinda silly, but it's been on my mind since I started it 2+ months ago because I have been trying to get back here and post.  I've made stuff.  Yummy stuff.  Cling to your hips n thighs and ruin your "healthy  living...not a diet! lifestyle" stuff.  Ask my husband, he's always thrilled and terrified when I make something because he knows it's gonna be awesome as the smells start wafting from the kitchen while he plays COD III:Black Ops or whatever version is out right now.

So what I made last night was this Tiramisu.  Mind you, I also made homemade mascarpone to accompany it (which btw, is incredibly easy and basically foolproof to make!) and homemade lady fingers (thanks to the Miette cookbook!)  WHO HAS TIME TO MAKE TIRAMISU AND ITS COMPONENTS FROM SCRATCH!?  I must be losing my marbles y'all...but I don't wanna plop down the dough for sponge cookies and soft cheese, so I decided to make it.  Now if only I could  harvest & roast the espresso beans for the coffee component ;)

I thought I messed it up...my zabaglione FELT wrong, and when I added the mascarpone to it, it looked even sadder.  I even told Andy, "if this recipe doesn't turn out I've already figured out two reasons why."  Also when I whipped the cream, it never really looked all that stiff, at least enough to add it into the zabaglione. I also barely had enough espresso brewed to make this work; I also thought we had Kahlua, we don't.  Boo. 

My ladyfingers were fresh made Wednesday eve; not biscuity like the ones found in the store, but light, spongy and just perfect.  I thought this was a good idea, but they might need a firmer/crispier shell to get those contrasting textures of the cookie/cream complexity that is tiramisu.  However, I was thrilled with what came out of my oven; I was just freaking out a bit that I'd over bake them, so I think if they baked longer they may have been up to the tiramisu challenge.

When you make the zabaglione, use superfine sugar; I thought I could get away with granulated because it should dissolve eventually into the heated yolks.  It didn't, but you cannot tell when the final product comes together.  I also thought this guy's version was overly sweet for my tastes, so I would scale it down from 1c to 3/4c. super fine sugar.  I also added on sifted unsweetened cocoa powder after the first layer of fingers/mascarpone and on the top final layer.  I would add chocolate shavings too if it were a fancy affair.  I think the trick is really strong brewed espresso; I really underestimated this part when I read other recipes.  Maybe make a strong pot of coffee/espresso AND add some instant coffee to it to really intensify the coffee flavor.  Also, make more than half a cup; I did and I barely had enough!

I dunno.  I'm not overly impressed with my first homemade tiramisu EVER (which is really a sin because a) it's a fav dessert of mine, and b) i'm Italian, this should've been attempted a loooong time ago!)  Andy loves it and said, "wow, if I liked coffee, that bowl of tiramisu would be gone by the time you got home"!  (he is not a fan of coffee, so more for me haha.) I think as a first attempt it was satisfactory, however not up to my standards.  I do have leftover mascarpone that I could do a retrial, but we have a whole bowl of dessert in my fridge now so I don't think I will attempt again soon.

Pictures to come?  If I do, it'll be a beautiful red Le Crueset bowl with a big chunk missing from the side :) thanks for reading guys, and hang tight as I get the hang of this.  More yumminess to come!  Also, I organized my Pinterest boards so it's got a whole new section of "RECIPES I'VE MADE!!" with some commentary on each pin!  And I've subbed out a pies board and a desserts board to try and organize more properly.

Oh yea, someday I'll post wedding pictures too ;) oh and we're moving, don't know where or when but soon, yay for that awesome timing.  never a dull moment!