Tiramisu Anacapri

We ate Tiramisu in every city we visited in Italy. There were no survivors.

Luckily, I have a great recipe which I make at home that's even lower in fat and calories and can also send me back to those wonderful meals in every piazza!

Tiramisu Anacapri
Must make ahead. A trifle bowl is the best presentation.

1 cup cold water
1 (14-oz) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1 (3.4-oz) package vanilla instant pudding mix
1 (8-oz) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1 (8-oz) tub Reduced-fat Cool Whip
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup Kahlua
2 tbsp. instant coffee
24 ladyfingers (2, 3-oz. packages) - I have substituted angel food cake in a pinch
3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa, divided

1. Combine the first 3 ingredients in a large bowl, stir well with a whisk. Cover surface with plastic wrap, chill 30 minutes or until firm.
2. Remove plastic wrap and add cream cheese. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until well-blended. Gently fold in Cool Whip.
3. Combine hot water, Kahlua, and coffee. Split ladyfingers in half lengthwise.
4. Arrange 16 ladyfinger halves, flat side down in a trifle bowl or large glass bowl. Drizzle with 1/2 cup Kahlua mixture. Spread one-third of pudding mixture evenly over ladyfingers, sprinkle with 1 tbsp. cocoa.
5. Repeat layers, ending with cocoa. Cover and chill at least 8 hours.

Yield: 12 servings. 310 calories, 9.1g fat.

Fruit Dip

Despite my husband's suggestion to call this "That Dip Sh*t", no one could get enough of this yummy, light, sweet fruit dip. So much so that they started putting it on all sorts of other items on their brunch plate! So good.

Ingredients:
1 (8 oz.) block Philadelphia cream cheese (I also use 1/3-less-fat version)
1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow cream
3 Tbsp. Cool Whip (again, I use light)

Directions:
1. Mix all together in a bowl with a mixer.
2. Put in refrigerator and let it set for 3 hours (I've taken it out sooner). Then, ready to serve!

French Toast Souffle

I love french toast, but when having friends over - I don't want to be a short-order cook! This casserole is a huge crowd pleaser and doesn't come out too sweet. The recipes calls for it to be made ahead, but I've made it just a few hours ahead of serving and it came out just fine!

Ingredients:
10 cups or about 16 slices of (1-inch) cubed sturdy white bread (such as Pepperidge Farm Hearty White)
Cooking spray
1 (8 oz.) block of 1/3-less-fat-cream cheese, softened
8 large eggs
1 1/2 cups of 2% reduced-fat milk
2/3 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tablespoons powdered sugar (or enough to dust the top of the casserole)
3/4 cup maple syrup (if desired for serving)

Directions:
1. Place bread cubes in a 13x9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
2. Beat cream cheese at medium speed until smooth.
3. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition.
4. Add milk, half-and-half, 1/2 cup maple syrup, and vanilla, and mix until smooth (I often still have little cream cheese chunks, but then smoosh them out with a rubber spatula)
5. Pour cream cheese mixture over top of bread, cover and refrigerate overnight (I have also gently used a spoon to toss the bread cubes in the dish to be sure it was all coated with the mixture befor I put it in the fridge to speed up the process if I'm making it the same day)
6. Remove bread mixture from refrigerator, and let stand on counter for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375-degrees.
7. Bake at 375 for 50 minutes or until set. (Be sure to call people into the kitchen as you pull it out of the oven to see the souffle while it's all puffy and gorgeous - it will soon deflate.)
8. Sprinkle the souffle with powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup (and maybe a side of sausage.) Yum!