Ladyfingers—the perfect sponge biscuits. Truly perfect. They are indispensable for tiramisu, chilled cheesecakes and countless other desserts. Perhaps they will even become your children’s first homemade biscuits? Made without baking powder or artificial improvers, they are wonderfully simple to prepare. The key to success lies in following the recipe carefully. I used my Grandad’s recipe. Before baking, the biscuits are left to dry briefly, much like macarons, which helps create their characteristic crisp surface. They are also generously dusted with icing sugar. And how do they taste? Absolutely fantastic!
Makes approximately 35 ladyfingers.
Ingredients for ladyfingers:
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 80 g caster sugar
- 75 g plain flour
- icing sugar, for dusting
All ingredients should be at room temperature.
Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, whisking continuously, just as you would when making meringue. Do not add all the sugar at once. Add the egg yolks and continue whisking until fully incorporated and a thick, fluffy egg foam forms. Sift the flour directly over the mixture and gently fold it in with a spatula. Take great care not to deflate the mixture.
Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a large plain round nozzle. Pipe biscuits approximately 10 cm long, leaving even gaps between them. Dust generously with icing sugar and leave to stand for 5 minutes so the surface can dry slightly.
Just before baking, dust the biscuits with icing sugar once again.
Bake at 180°C for approximately 14 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and leave for a minute or two before carefully lifting the biscuits from the baking parchment and transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips:
If the egg whites are not whipped properly, the biscuits will spread and become flat. Folding the flour too vigorously into the egg mixture will destroy the air bubbles responsible for their light texture. The biscuits may also spread more if one tray is left waiting while another bakes. For best results, bake all trays at the same time whenever possible. The finished ladyfingers should be light, airy, delicately crisp on the outside and perfect for tiramisu and other desserts.
Enjoy!
I read all comments, but unfortunately I can't answer them all. Before posting a question, make sure nobody has asked a similar one (this will be facilitated by the search engine included in the comments). Comments with links may not be published.
Blog author