Tiramisu (no coffee needed)

This is my favorite tiramisu.

The reason is pretty simple. 

I HATE coffee.

That being said, I do like to put coffee in chocolate recipes and oddly enough, 

my maple icing for cinnamon rolls. I hate it in anything where you can actually taste the coffee.

Love the idea of tiramisu though. I mean, with the layers of dunked cookies, delicious cream cheese and whipped cream. Then it sits and everything falls in love and the cookies soften up. Whats not to love? (Except the coffee of course.) 

So...I needed something that would give it that deep mocha flavor without having to use coffee and I thought, Kahlua. I like Kahlua and it worked perfectly.

It was so creamy, rich and delicious! Coffee drinkers won't even miss the coffee.

Tiramisu

1 8oz cream cheese, room temp.

1/2 cup sugar

2 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided use

2 tsp vanilla

6 oz package of ladyfingers

Cocoa for dusting

Dipping Syrup

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup Kahlua

3 tsp chocolate syrup

For the syrup: 

Combine sugar and water in a sauce pan. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and let cool. Stir in Kahlua and chocolate syrup. Set aside.

Beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and 1/2 cup of the heavy cream at medium speed until creamy.

In another bowl, beat remaining 2 cups of cream until soft peaks form. Fold into the cheese mixture.

Starting with 1/4 of the cookies, dip both sides of each cookie into the syrup and place in the bottom of a trifle bowl. Top with 1/4 of the cheese mixture and a dusting of cocoa powder. Repeat 3 times.

Let chill at least 3 hours before serving.