Twinkie Tiramisu

Twinkie Tiramisu also called Twinkie-misu is a gourmet delight sure to please everyone’s sweet tooth.

The idea of using Twinkies in a Tiramisu first intrigued me when I started watching the food network a few years back. The host of the show made his own whipped cream which sounds great, but it was also extra work I did not want to do. I modified the recipe so that the dessert could be thrown together quickly, but still taste like I spent hours making the dish. Let’s just say, I have yet to meet anyone who does not like this delicious dessert.

Here’s a list of ingredients:

• 1 Large Casserole Dish
• 20 individual twinkies
• 2 Packages of Cool Whip
• 1 Pot of strong coffee (approx 8 cups)
• 1 package (8oz) of Mascarpone Cheese
• 1 packet of hot chocolate mix

Prep:
Coffee – Brew a strong pot of coffee. No cream, no sugar.

Twinkies – Slice open in half, scoop out the cream and set everything aside.

Cream Filling:
In a large pot mixing bowl, combine the cream from the Twinkies, Cool Whip, and the Marscapone Cheese. Drizzle in a couple teaspoons of the strong coffee for flavor. Make sure the Marscapone Cheese is smooth throughout the filling and not clumped up.

Instructions:
Spread a thin layer of cream filling at the bottom of the casserole dish, followed by a flat layer of Twinkies. The Twinkies should sit snug side by side. Slowly pour the coffee over the Twinkies until it has soaked through, but not mushy that it falls apart.

Next, spread a thin layer of cream on top of the Twinkies. You might have to gently tap the casserole dish so that the creams fill up the nooks and crannies. Follow with another layer of Twinkies and then soak again with the coffee.

The final layer of cream filling goes on top of the Twinkies. Make sure the cream is spread out evenly. Open the packet of hot chocolate mix and sprinkle the top layer of the dish. An option is to pour the hot chocolate mix into a fine strainer and dust the coco powder over the casserole dish for even distribution. Put a sheet of plastic wrap over the dish and let it chill in fridge for at least an hour before serving.

As a side note, I’ve also left the dish in the freezer and it transforms into an ice-cream like coffee cake.

This wonderful Twinkie Tiramisu recipe was contributed by Caroline, the photos were by G and the recipe is by http://foodthaticook.com “See what you Eat, Eat what you See…”