As thanksgiving nears, I find myself day dreaming of desserts. What will I make this year? What flavors can I mix together to form a crowd pleasing dessert? Will I make any appetizers? For someone who enjoys cooking & baking, trying to figure out what to make is the biggest dilemma! My mind can go from 0 to 100 in a matter of seconds, with plenty of ideas and options lined up. The hard part is deciding on one idea & going with it!
I just knew I wanted to bake an Indian fusion dessert, just didn’t know what it was going to be. Originally, I was going to bake a Gulab Jamun cheesecake but then my mind started to drift and I found my self day dreaming of a soft, velvety and creamy tiramisu. Ah HA! Why not combine the two and form a gulab jamun tiramisu trifle!
And so the process began. I started off with all the traditional ingredients of a tiramisu. Namely, mascarpone cheese, espresso & heavy whipping cream. Instead of lady fingers…yes you guessed it…I used gulab jamuns (from a can, store bought). I cut the gulab jamuns in quarters and then soaked them in cold espresso and started layering into a trifle dish. It’s seriously as easy as 1,2,3!
Also the addition of cardamom & rose water in the whipped cream is absolutely divine!
Optional: Top with some edible roses! I ordered mine off of amazon, just make sure the roses are food grade.
Gulab Jamun Tiramisu Trifle
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 2 tsps instant espresso
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsps rose water
- 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
- 1 8.8 oz Galbani Mascarpone Cheese
- 1 can Bikaji Gulab Jamun can drained from syrup, cut into quarters (these cans do not have an ounce size, but just an overall weight in ounces. Get the can that says 35.27oz net weight)
Instructions
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Heat 1 cup of water over medium heat, once water comes to a boil add in instant espresso. Continue to mix for ~1 minute and then pour into a wide bowl and place in refrigerator.
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Add whipping cream, sugar, rose water and cardamom powder to a mixing bowl. Quickly mix with a rubber spatula to make sure sugar is incorporated. Using an electric mixer beat on medium speed. Continue to beat for ~5 mins until stiff peaks form. (Be careful to not overbeat!) Add mascarpone cheese and mix until combined (~1 min).
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Take each quarter of the gulab jamuns and dip into espresso and then place into trifle dish. Place the gulab jamun quarters into a wide circle and then working your way in (form two circles, one big on the outside and one smaller on on the inside) Smooth whipped cream and mascarpone mixture on top of the jamuns. Add another layer of jamuns on top and then smooth whipped cream mixture on top. Continue to repeat until you run out of jamuns. I was able to form three layers.
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Sprinkle with some edible roses on top. Refrigerate until ready to serve!
Recipe Notes
- Get the Gulab Jamun can that says net wt 35.27oz, note this is the weight of the can, not the size. I've noticed many of the cans in the Indian stores only have a net wt size. Click the link to see what the can looks like.
- You can find rose water at a local indian store as well, just ask what aisle to find it in!
- I ordered edible rose petals off of amazon. Click link to see which ones I ordered.
- If you prefer a stronger coffee taste, add in another tsp of espresso to the boiling water. You can also serve the trifle with the espresso liquid drizzled on top.
- I got my trifle dish from Party City ($3.99), but you can use any type of tray/dish to layer as long as it is deep enough! You can even serve in individuals cups for a fancier presentation.
