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Copyright, 2015
March 16, 2014
Rob
Cakes
0

Recipe: Ladyfingers (Savoiardi/Biscuits cuillère)

I’m sure very few amateur bakers have had a shot at making ladyfingers.

It’s the typical product you just buy ready made in supermarkets. When I tell people I make my own ladyfingers, I get surprised looks as to say “I didn’t think it was possible to make them at home!”. Why shouldn’t it be possible? 🙂

Recipe---Ladyfingers---02

Actually making homemade ladyfingers is quite easy: it’s nothing more and nothing less than a spongecake. Ok, then you have to pipe the batter, but anyone can make it!

A nice characteristic of ladyfingers is the crunchy surface, obtained by sprinkling powdered sugar twice before baking.

Recipe---Ladyfingers---07

The only delicate point in the recipe is incorporating all the ingredients without deflating the batter, which is made with whipped egg yolks and whipped egg whites: just remember to use an upward movement from the bottom of your bowl towards the sides and everything will be fine (of course, don’t overmix!).

Recipe---Ladyfingers---Step09

This is a basic recipe every baker should know: ladyfingers, also known as Savoiardi in Italy and Biscuits cuillère in France, are very versatile and can be eaten alone or used in many cakes, including Tiramisù and Charlotte.

Recipe---Ladyfingers---05

If the latter case, there is actually no need to pipe the batter precisely: you can just spread it evenly in a pan to make a big rectangle that can be cut and placed in a cake mould. The result will be the same, with less effort! 🙂

 

Ladyfingers

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Ladyfingers

Ingredients

6Egg whites
6Egg yolks
1/2Vanilla bean
115gGranulated sugar
75gBread flour
60gCornstarch
Powdered sugar (as needed)

Directions

1
Whip the egg whites and granulated sugar at medium speed in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whip attachment.
2
When the egg whites form stiff peaks, set aside
3
Now whip the egg yolks and vanilla seeds for about 10 minutes at high speed until the mixture is thick and creamy
4
Using a whisk, gently stir the egg whites to restore a smooth appearance and then add the whipped egg yolks
5
Using a spatula, fold the egg whites and egg yolks together. Don't overmix: keep the mixture streaked in appearance since you will have to keep on mixing once you add the flour
6
Sift the flour and cornstarch together and incorporate into the egg mixture gently in three times, taking care not to deflate the batter.
7
Place the batter in a pastry bag fitted with a medium plain tip and pipe long cookies (e.g. 12cm) onto a paper-lined sheet pan.
8
Sprinkle the surface of the cookies with powdered sugar.
9
Let it sit for 5 minutes until the sugar dissolves, then sprinkle again a second time
10
Bake at 210°C approximately 10-12 minutes with the oven door slightly open.
11
After baking, let the ladyfingers cool down a wire rack and (optional) store one day at room temperature to dry out.

Note

  • Ladyfingers are perfect to be used in modern tortes: in this case they will be moistened with a sugar syrup. To make sure they don't become too soft after moistening, you can let the ladyfingers dry out for 24 hours at room temperature.
  • After drying out at room temperature, the ladyfingers can be stored for months into an airtight container.

More Posts Like This One

Recipe: Traditional Tiramisù

April 4, 2014

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June 27, 2016

Recipe: Charlotte with red fruits

April 21, 2014

Recipe: Tiramisu-shi

July 24, 2015
BasicBiscuit cuillèreCharlotteEggsLadyfingersPastry academyPastry fundamentalsSavoiardiSpongecakeTiramisù
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WELCOME

Hi, my name is Rob, I work in IT but I love baking and I also got a pastry diploma. I created this blog to keep track of my journey from complete beginner to world pastry champion (I'm not there yet).

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