Pick me up aka: TIRAMISU

There aren't many things in this world that can get us upset. We're pretty easy going but there are a handfull of things that just annoy us. One of them is ordering tiramisu at a restaurant and its filled with whipped cream...

yuck! just yuck!

Tiramisu is a very popular italian dessert. When it's made the right way it can be soooo yummy! We have tried many recipes and this is our favorite. We've made it several times for people and it ALWAYS gets rave reviews!

This recipe is very authentic and uses ONLY mascarpone cheese. It is such a quick and easy dessert to put together and you don't even have to bake it so you don't have to worry about burning something!

Here's the recipe:

Serves 6 (We doubled it so it fit into a 13x9 baking dish. This is the original recipe not doubled)

2 egg whites

2 egg yolks

1 1\4 cups powdered sugar

1 3\4 cups mascarpone cheese

7 oz ladyfingers

3\4 cup freshly brewed espresso, cooled

Unsweeted cocoa powder

Directions:

Stiffly whisk the egg whites in a medium bowl. In another bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar until puffy and pale. Gently fold in the masarpone, then the egg whites. Dip the lady fingers quickly in the espresso and make a layer in the dish. Cover the layer with half the mascarpone cream and repeat. Dust with cocoa and chill in refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

Anise Biscotti

Have any of you ever had Stella D'oro anisette sponge biscotto?? We grew up eating those since we can remember! We just started eating them again recently and remembered why we loved these so much! Wanna know what's even better? They only have 90 calories for 2 cookies!! =)

We wanted to see if we could come up with something similar to those cookies on our own. After giving it a few times and changing things, we finally got a recipe that we liked! They weren't exactly the same as the Stella D'oro ones, BUT these are definitely a keeper! They are nice and crunchy on the outside and the inside is nice and spongy. Also, we love anything that has anice in it. Not everbody is crazy about that flavor but we are fans of it!

If you want a simple biscotti recipe that is simple and fast and is perfect for breakfast with a cup of coffee or tea or even for a midday\late night snack definitely try these!!

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 pinch salt 6 eggs 1 cup white sugar 6 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 teaspoons anise extract

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs until they are light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and beat for about 3 minutes. Stir in the oil and anise extract. Fold in the dry ingredients until well blended. Spread the mixture into a 9x13 inch pan that is sprayed with PAM and bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. When the pan cools slightly, cut into 18 pieces. Think 3 columns with 6 rows! =) Place slices onto a cookie sheet and return to the oven long enough to brown on each side, like toast. Store in a tightly covered container.

Spinach Risotto

We love making risottos! We don't think people realize how easy they are so make! We have made several different kinds of risottos, but never one with just spinach. We came across this one online. Here is the recipe. It is super simple to make. You can have it done from start to finish in 30 minutes!

We had this for dinner last night, along with our boyfriends and parents. EVERYONE loved it!! They said it was the best risotto yet! Whenever we don't know what to make for dinner we always create some sort of risotto.

When we make risottos we starts by always cooking onions in some olive oil and butter. Then we add the rice to toast a little, followed by some white wine. Then little by little you have to add chicken broth as it absorbs and cooks! Then add whatever you want! Sauteed vegetables, spicy sausage with some saffron or even eat plain with some parmiggiano cheese!

Definitely try this recipe!! =)