In the long line of Disney Princesses, I can state with complete confidence that Aurora (The Sleeping Beauty) is my…
most disliked character. I don’t hate her, I just didn’t find her useful in any way. Belle looked past physical appearances to find love. Mulan saved China. Aurora…sang a song, took a nap, then married the guy that kissed her in her sleep. Yeah, I know that there is no point in getting all worked up over a movie but please understand my dear reader…that is 76 minutes of my life that I will never get back.
*Sigh*…I respect the tedious amount of work that went into the creation of The Sleeping Beauty but frown at the lack of attention and screen time given to the movie’s leading character. I made sure I didn’t make the same mistake when making this Aurora themed dessert. Let’s break this sweet treat down…
Strawberry Chamomile Tiramisu: Here were the steps I took to creating this beauty.
- Step 1: Watch the sleeping beauty
- Step 2: Get over the fact that Aurora was useless
- Step 3: Choose a color (I went with pink)
- Step 4: Find ingredients for a sleep themed dessert (Strawberries, Almonds, Dairy and Chamomile tea are all said to have sleep promoting properties)
- Step 5: Decide on a dessert that would fit the theme and ingredients (I loved the irony of a Tiramisu which stands for “Pick Me Up” in Italian).
The outcome was a surprisingly fresh take on the classic tiramisu. Instead of the espresso and coco that is found in the traditional Italian version, this version pairs strawberries and almonds with a spot of chamomile tea. Here are the things you can’t see:
- Lady fingers soaked in a floral and almond infused chamomile tea gives this dessert a pillow like texture.
- The almond custard is like a cloud (light and melts in your mouth).
- Freshly diced strawberries and toasted almonds are scattered throughout this dessert to make it almost perfect…
The only thing missing is…
a gold crown made of white chocolate!
So there you have it. Overall, I was thrilled with how amazing this Strawberry Chamomile Tiramisu tasted and grateful that it was inspired by a movie I disliked. Which reminds me of a little piece of advice I found a few days back:
“Never give up on your dreams…keep sleeping”~Unknown
If you care for the other half of this post, check out my Mint Chocolate Tart (inspired by Maleficent).
- 1 dozen Ladyfingers (Savoiardi)
- 1 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- 2 Tea Bag Chamomile Placed in a plate, reserve 2 tbsp for custard
- 3 large Eggs
- 2 oz Sugar Seperated
- 8 oz Mascarpone Cheese
- 1/2 tsp Almond Extract
- 2 drops Red Food Coloring
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 1 lb Strawberries
- 2 tbsp Roasted Salted Almonds
- Mint Optional
- Heat up your unsweetened almond milk and steep your tea bags in it for 3-5 minutes.
- Remove the tea bags and dissolve 2 tbsps of sugar in it. Transfer to a shallow pan and set aside to cool.
- Mix the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl.
- Mix in 2 tbsp of the almond chamomile tea.
- Mix in the mascarpone, almond extract and salt.
- Beat the egg whites until you have soft peaks (2-3 minutes), mix in the red food coloring and continue beating until you have stiff peaks (another 1-2 minutes).
- Fold the egg whites into your mascrapone mixture and set aside.
- Dip the Ladyfingers into the almond chamomile tea and layer them into the container you are serving in.
- Layer in the mascrapone mixture and diced strawberries.
- Cover and let the tiramisu set in the fridge (at least 6 hours).
- On a piece of parchment paper, draw a crown (Yes, I know I can't draw....)
- Melt the white chocolate (microwave on 15 second intervals, mixing in between).
- Pipe the white chocolate into the crown stencil and quickly roll the crown up to give it shape. Let it harden in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.
- Spray with gold mist and garnish.