Amaretto Tiramisu

Ingredients: 8 ounces neufchatel cream cheese, at room temperature 1/3 cup sugar 5 tablespoons amaretto liqueur (or syrup for non-alcoholic version) 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 3 cups (8 oz tub) whipped topping 24 ladyfingers (7 oz package) or substitute a sliced pound cake 3/4-1 cup strong coffee 1/4 cup unsweatened cocoa powder 1 tablespoon powdered confectioners sugar 2 tablespoons blanched almonds (optional)

Directions: Beat together cream cheese and sugar in a mixing bowl until light and creamy, 3-4 minutes. Beat in amaretto and vanilla. Then fold in whipped topping. Arrange half the ladyfingers in a 9 inch square pan so that they fit side to side filling the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with half of the coffee. Then spread half of the cream cheese mixture on top. Sprinkle half of the cocoa on top of the cream cheese. Repeat the layer of ladyfingers, coffee, cream cheese and cocoa. Sprinkle with the confectioners sugar and garnish with the almonds if desired. Cover and refrigerate overnight for best flavor. Pam's Tips: First of all this recipe is great !....but a little too prissy and hard to hold together with ladyfingers. They're also difficult to find ! I make this recipe for a crowd of hungry people, so I double the filling ingredients. Get two boxed pound cake mixes and follow package directions to bake 2 identically sized 9 x 13 inch layers of pound cake. (You can also use store bought pound cake sliced.) Let them cool completely on a wire rack. Then place one layer back into a clean 9 x 13 inch pan and pour the cup of coffee on top. Don't be afraid of using too much coffee ! The pound cake is dense and will absorb it. This dessert is meant to be moist. Then follow the usual steps with the filling and cocoa. Place the second layer of pound cake on top, pour more coffee, sprinkle on the cocoa powder and confections sugar and chill overnight. This cake slices and holds together unlike the ladyfinger version. One last tip ! If you don't have a shaker bottle to sprinkle on the cocoa and confectioners sugar, it will shake out in clumps, very unattractive and believe me you don't want a guest to bite down on a clump of unsweetened cocoa powder ! YUCK ! Using a small mesh strainer held over the pan, pour the cocoa in and shake to coat and then repeat for the confectioners sugar.

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