One skinny almond…. tiramisu please. I decided to make this dessert for my mum’s birthday, as a lover of anything coffee related. Tiramisu is an Italian dessert, specifically from Venice. I decided to play on the coffee theme and serve this looking like a cappuccino. Original tiramisu recipes are filled with copious amounts of rich double cream and mascarpone, but to make this dessert healthier and more guilt free, I have used a substitute of half fat crème fraîche and quark. Quark, if you haven’t heard of it, is the German name for a dairy product derived from milk, and is a much healthier alternative to cream. I have added amaretto biscuits to the base of this and topped it with ground almonds, for added flavour.

Ingredients: (serves 4)

• 8 amaretto biscuits (plus 4 extra for serving, optional). You should be able to find these in most supermarkets, I got mine from M&S.
• A pack of sponge fingers (how many depends on the size of the mug you are using, but I used about 12 in total). You should be able to find these in most supermarkets, where the meringues are.
• 150g 50% fat crème fraîche
• 250g quark (this will be in most major supermarkets, in the soft cheese section)
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 4 tbsp coffee liqueur (optional). I just used Tesco own brand but you can also use the more expensive Kahlua
• 80ml espresso ( I made this by adding 80ml of boiling water to about 1.5 tbsp instant coffee. Leave this for a while to cool a little)
• Ground almonds (about a handful, for decoration)
• Dark chocolate, grated for decoration

Method:

1. Get 4 mugs.
2. Break up some sponge fingers and fit into the base of the mug, until one layer thick. Crumble one amaretto biscuit into each mug and add this on top.
3. Whisk together the crème fraîche, quark, sugar and coffee liqueur until all incorporated.
4. Pour half the espresso over the sponge fingers and amaretto in the mugs.
5. Then top this with half the crème fraîche and quark mixture.
6. Repeat this process, topping with more broken sponge fingers and crumbled amaretto biscuit. Then add the rest of the espresso on top and finish with the rest of the creamy mix.
7. Chill this in the fridge for 1 hour minimum, to allow the biscuits to soften.
8. Once ready to serve, top the tiramisu with a sprinkle of ground almonds, and shake the mug a little, so it is covering the whole surface. This will produce the white “frothy” like cappuccino top.
9. Add some grated chocolate on top.
10. Serve with an amaretto biscuit.