Copy Cat ~ Olive Garden Tiramisu

Copy Cat ~ Olive Garden Tiramisu

INGREDIENTS:

3 egg yolks
1/4 cup whole milk
1 cup grandulated sugar
3 cups mascarpone cheese (this is an Italian cream cheese)
8 ounces cream cheese
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
20 – 24 lady fingers
1/4 cup cold espresso
1/4 cup Kahlua coffee liqueur
2 teaspoons cocoa powder

DIRECTIONS:

Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water and bring it to a boil over medium/high heat, then reduce heat so that the water is simmering.Whisk egg yolks, milk and sugar together in a medium metal bowl, then place the bowl on top of the saucepan (you can also use a double boiler for this step). Stir the mixture often for ten minutes. After the sugar dissolves the mixture should begin to thicken and turn light yellow. Remove it from the heat to cool.

Use an to combine mascarpone, cream cheese and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix until mostly creamy, but with a few small chunks remaining.

Add egg yolk mixture to the cheese mixture and mix just until well-combined.

Combine espresso and Kahlua in a small bowl. Pour this mixture onto a dinner plate. 

One-by-one touch the bottom of each lady finger in the espresso. The lady finger will quickly soak up the espresso/Kahlua mixture, but you don’t want the lady finger soaked — just a dab will get the job done. The top half of each lady finger should still be dry.

Arrange the soaked lady fingers side-by-side on the bottom of an 8×8-inch serving dish or baking pan.

Spoon about half of the cheese mixture over the lady fingers, then add another layer of soaked lady fingers on top of the cheese mixture.

Spoon the remaining cheese mixture over the second layer of lady fingers and spread it evenly.

Put two teaspoons of cocoa powder in a tight-mesh strainer and gently tap the side of the strainer to add an even dusting of cocoa powder over the top of the dessert.

Cover and chill for several hours. To serve, slice the dessert twice across and down creating 9 even portions 

Enjoy!

Zuppa Toscana ~ (Olive Garden Copycat)

This is my favorite soup at Olive Garden!! I love making this one at home as well!! 

Olive Garden Copy Cat ~ Zuppa Toscana 


Ingredients:


4 slices bacon, cut into a small dice
1 pound hot Italian sausage, ground or links with casings removed
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups (32 ounces) chicken broth or stock
3 cups Russet potatoes, cubed
sea or kosher salt and fresh black pepper
2 loose packed cups kale, in bite size pieces
1 cup heavy cream or 14 ounce can evaporated milk
Parmesan cheese, grated, for serving


Preparation:


1. In a large soup pot or sauce pan cook bacon over medium until crispy. Add sausage and break it apart as it cooks. Once sausage is browned and crumbled drain off the grease leaving a tablespoon or two to saute onion.

2. Push the sausage to the edges of the pot and add onion to center; saute until translucent; add garlic; saute until fragrant. 

3. Stir in broth and potatoes, season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, simmer for about 20 minute or until potatoes are tender.

4. Add kale and heavy cream or evaporated milk. Bring to a simmer.