Pick Me Up, Tiramisu

Gluten-free, maple-sweet, vegan

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup decaffeinated espresso beans (or caffeinated!)
• 1/8-1/4 cup Valrhona (or preferred) cocoa powder

Almond Fingers

• 2 cups almond flour
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon Valrhona (or preferred) cocoa powder

Cashew Cream

• 1 1/2 cups raw cashews soaked in water 4 hours and strained
• 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Grind coffee beans and brew one cup of strong coffee. Pour into bowl.
3. Make the almond fingers: into one bowl add almond flour and eliminate any clumps by hand. Mix in remaining dry ingredients, then wet. Mix all into a dough.
4. One by one, palm roll approximately 2 tablespoons of dough. Shape rolled ball into oblong, or rectangular shape. Place onto cookie sheet. On the sheet extend each shape by pressing down and in on top and sides to approximately 2″ long, 1″ wide and 1/2″ thick.
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Bake time will depend on size. Scent will best determine doneness. Let cool.
6. Make the cream: add all ingredients to a high speed blender. Blend on high 1-3 minutes until very smooth, like a heavy whipped cream.
7. Assemble tiramisu: Into preferred glass vessel*. Using small wire mesh strainer, dust the bottom of the vessel, covering the surface entirely. 2-3 at a time, place baked almond fingers into the brewed coffee, flipping over a few times to dredge. In one layer, place coffee almond fingers on the cocoa coated glass vessel bottom. Do not over crowd, allow space around each almond finger.
8. Use a rubber spatula or spoon to lay a third to half** of the cream onto the almond fingers and bottom of the pan/glass vessel. Gently spread cream evenly to pan’s edge. Gently dust with cocoa powder across entire surface of cream.
9. Repeat the layering process: coffee dredged almond fingers; cream; cocoa powder. Repeat a third time if ingredients remain, or assemble a second, mini tiramisu with remaining ingredients.
10. Cover and place in refrigerator for one hour or more.
11. To serve, slice and spoon onto small plate or into small bowl.
    
    *Nearly any glass vessel will do: 9×5 loaf pan; 8 x 8 baking dish; pie dish; 6 2oz mason jars; etc. The transparency of glass adds to the delight.
    
    **Amount of cream will depend on the number of layers of your tiramisu.

Tiramisu be frozen, and then thawed in refrigerator. This especially fun in small individual serving mason jars.

Adapted from and inspired by Sweet Laurel and Love & Lemons