This is very close to Olive Garden's dish of the same name.
Much more than will fit in a 13×9 pan because deeper (as it should be).
| 1 cup | granulated sugar |
| 5 | extra large eggs |
| 2 pkgs | (16 oz) cream cheese Philadelphia-style (or mascarpone) |
| 2 pkg | Knox unflavored gelatin powder |
| 2-3 cups | heavy whipping cream |
| 1 pkg | Lady Fingers or Nilla wafters |
| 1 pint | espresso |
| 1 tbsp | rhum |
| — | Dutched or baker's chocolate |
1. Make espresso, add rhum and set aside to cool: Heat 12-16 ounces of water very hot and dissolve 1 heaping tablespoons instant coffee plus a tablespoon of sugar.
2. Separate eggs, add cream of tartar to whites and beat until just past soft peaks.
3. Beat yolks until lemony in color, add sugar and beat longer. Add mascarpone and beat longer still.
4. Hydrate gelatin on top of whipping cream for a few minutes. Beat whipping cream but not to butter state (stiff, but not chunky). Without this gelatin, perhaps even with mascarpone instead of cream cheese, the dessert will be too liquid to present nicely.
5. Fold white carefully into yolks and cheese. With equal care, fold whipped cream into final mixture.
6. Cover bottom of dish with small amount of cream mixture. Dip Lady Fingers in espresso mixture and arrange on cream mixture. Cover with more cream. Make on one or two more layers of cookies and cream until the last layer covers the dessert with cream.
7. Cover dessert with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night. Just before serving, remove plastic wrap and use a strainer to dust top with baker's chocolate. Serve very cold (and stiff).