Recipe: Mocha Almond Cinnamon Tiramisu!

Few desserts are sexier than the creamy, smooth, layered tiramisu. I mean... just look at it:

The above tiramisu was from a restaurant in Rome, and it... was... perfetto. So perfect, in fact, that my time spent in Italy-- and all the food I ate while there-- is the subject of a travel memoir I'm working on, tentatively titled Spaghetti Friendship. Click here to read the synopsis of my book!

As someone who used to be intimidated by kitchens, I couldn't love preparing tiramisu more. For one thing, it's a no-bake dessert! Once you layer everything, it's ready! How easy is that? And for another thing, it's easy to swap out ingredients and tweak it to your taste. So today, I present to you: Tiramisu a la Laura.

Mocha Almond Cinnamon Tiramisu

Ingredients:

Not pictured: sugar

15 oz. ricotta cheese

9 oz. plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup sliced almonds

2 tsp. vanilla extract

5 oz. of Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino (about half a bottle)

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

16 oz. Madeleine cakes (about 20 - 24 cookies total, depending on their size)

Extra cinnamon and chocolate chips to sprinkle on top

Steps:

1. Mix the cheese, yogurt, and sugar in a bowl. Add the almonds and vanilla extract, and stir well.

2. Pour about half the Frappuccino into a shallow bowl, and mix with the cinnamon.

3. Dip half the Madeleines into the coffee and layer on the bottom of a square glass serving dish. (8" x 8", at least 2" deep)

4. Spread half the cheese/yogurt mixture over the cakes.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 to make two more layers.

6. Top with an additional sprinkle of cinnamon and chocolate chips.

7. Let chill in fridge for at least a half hour. (I like it best when it chills overnight.)

8. Enjoy a slice with the rest of your Frappuccino!

What kind of tiramisu do you like? Let me know in the comments, and maybe I'll add another tiramisu recipe in the future!

Laura Botten is a voice actor and producer who is currently working on her first book Spaghetti Friendship: A Reunion in Rome. Get a FREE "Taste of Italy" when you sign up for her monthly newsletter here.

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