“Be inspired to create masterpieces from ​your own kitchen”.

Ladyfingers 

These ladyfingers are nothing like the ones you find in the grocery store. Those may come in handy as a convenient time saver. 

​But once you make your own, you will not only immediately taste the fresh difference, you'll be surprised at how easy they are to make.​

Ladyfingers , a variation of the sponge cake, are not baked in a pan like a cake but piped onto a sheet pan using a pastry bag & tip. You can eat them as they are, but they are not very sweet cookies on their own. They do make a great companion with coffee, or tea. Ladyfingers are mostly used for supporting sweet creamy fillings, ​like a Charlotte russe, or a trifle. 

     Your Mise En Place

​You will need an 18" pastry bag, with a 1/2" tip, cookie sheet pans, lined with parchment paper, a stand up mixer using the whisk attachment, and a silicone scraper.

 Always prepare your baking pans. Always preheat oven to 350°F, first. Always sift the flour, ​and set aside. Always measure out all of your ingredients first. Always make sure your ingredients are room temperature.

 Tips for Preparation 

Use the following tips as your guide to create successful ladyfingers.
Remember your step ones,  your mise' en' place', before you get to Step 1.  

​Tip for Step​ 1​

Line sheet pans with parchment paper, or a silicon mat.

Sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

Tips for Step 2 
Creating Volume​

​You are going to separate the egg yolks from the whites. Both will eventually be separately whipped. The egg whites need to be whipped in a fat free bowl.

​ If you have two mixers, you can easily streamline this process, by whipping the yolks and whites in separate bowls. Make sure you wash the whisk attachment in between.

If you only have one mixing bowl, whip your egg whites first, using a clean, fat free bowl. Whip the egg whites until they are stiff peaked, then just set them aside until needed in Step 5.  This is your first stage in volume creation. Move on to the reserved egg yolks, vanilla, and sugar.

​​​​​ Tip for Step 3
​The Meringue​
​If you have only one mixer and one mixing bowl...​​

​

• Due to the fat in the yolks, the egg whites will not whip up properly, because the fat interferes with their formation. Whip the egg whites first.
• Now, you MUST wash the mixing bowl before you add in the egg whites to make sure the bowl is clean.​​​​
• Next, you are ready to whip the egg whites. ​
• ​Always add sugar slowly egg whites become foamy, to make sure the sugar dissolves completely.

Tips for Step 4
​There are two jobs to accomplish in these steps of emulsifying and folding

Emulisifying​

Emulsifying​
​
This step is the second stage of volume creation, from the air you whip into the egg yolks. 

Whip egg yolks, vanilla, and the sugar at high speed until light ,creamy, and thick. ​The mixture will triple in size during what we call the ribbon stage, .

The Ribbon Stage

​An Example of The Ribbon Stage.​

​​The 'ribbon stage' is when your batter's consistency is thick, creamy, and the batter falls slowly into the bowl.

The batter will form a ribbon that holds it's shape for a
​moment. Making a figure eight with the batter is used as great a reference tool.

Folding ​​

Folding ​​
Once  your egg yolks and sugar reach the ribbon stage, fold in the flour. Make sure the flour is sifted.

​You can sift it twice, if you choose, for an even finer texture. Add the flour in 3rds, and gently fold the batter over the flour.

​Turning the bowl as you fold, makes folding easier to accomplish. We fold the flour into this mixture before adding the meringue.
​

​  Tips for Step 5
Folding in the Meringue
​
Fold the meringue into the reserved egg yolk, sugar, & flour mixture. Add the meringue in thirds, turning the bowl as you fold. 

Tip for Step 6
The Piping
​
To retain the volume you've created in this batter, work quickly. ​Fill a large pastry bag with the batter, using a 1/2" or 1" round tip. Your cookie sheets should be already be lined with parchment paper.

​ Sometime the parchment will move during piping, so take a dab of the batter and 'glue' each of the four edges of the parchment, to keep it in place. Pipe the batter 3" long. Due to spreading pipe about  2" apart.​

Tip for Step 7
​In this step, you will dust powdered sugar over the raw batter twice, being sure to completely cover.

Allow the first coating of powdered sugar to be absorbed into the batter before the second dusting. This will take only a few minutes.

​Dust again, then go ahead and bake as directed. When baked, the powdered sugar will create a nice, iced sweet coating on the cookies.

​Tip for Step 9 
​
​See how they eventually rise? Well, those fat cookies will be perfectly poised for absorbing  whatever liquid you soak them in. ​A perfect compliment to your​ creamy dessert 

​Golden Brown

Golden Brown
​These are perfectly brown ladyfingers. Dust the cookies with powdered sugar. Now they are ready to eat or add to your recipe.

Removing the ladyfingers from the parchment

Removing the ladyfingers from the parchment
​
​To remove the cookies from the parchment paper, you have to remove the parchment paper from the cookies.

Flip the parchment over, cookie side down, then peel the paper away from each cookie.

​These cookies can be delicate, and may break if you just pulled the cookie away from the paper, instead.
​

​ Lady Fingers

Poised to be eaten as they are, or ready for
​ the next dessert project.
         

​ Lady Fingers

     Yield: 2 dozen (3 " cookies)​​

Ingredients	Amounts
All purpose flour	​    7 ounces
Egg yolks	6 ​
Egg whites	6
Sugar, granulated	6 ounces
Vanilla	2 1/2 teaspoons
Cream of tartar	2 1/2 teaspoons
Powdered sugar	1 cup

Always make sure your ingredients are room temperature.

 Tip​
​
​For Chocolate Ladyfingers try this variation

Chocolate Ladyfingers
Delete the  1 ounce of the flour and replace it with 1 ounce of unsweetened cocoa powder. 
​Sift with the flour
                                                 

​
​Procedure      
​

 Step​ 1
Preheat oven 400° F.
Line sheet pans with parchment paper or Silpat.
Sift your flour.

​Step 2
​Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites.
Set the egg yolks aside with the vanilla & 1/3 sugar until  Step 4.

Step 3
In a clean mixing bowl, add the egg whites, cream of tartar, and half of the remaining sugar.
​Whip until foamy.
Once the eggs are foamy, gradually, on low speed ,add the remaining sugar to the egg whites. ​​
Whip, at high speed until glossy and stiff.
Set aside until Step 5.
​

​Step 4
Place the egg yolks, vanilla, and 1/3 of the sugar in your mixing bowl.
Whip at high speed until stiff peaks form.        
Whip egg yolks, vanilla, and the sugar at high speed until  the ribbon stage, light ,creamy, and thick. The mixture will double in size
Pour into a medium sized bowl. Fold in the sifted flour.

Step 5
Fold the meringue into the reserved egg yolk, sugar, & flour mixture.

Step 6
Fill your pastry bag with  the batter, using a 1/2" round tip. Pipe cookies 3 inches long onto prepared cookie sheet.

Step   7
Sift the powdered sugar over the ladyfingers, completely covering them. Once the batter absorbs the sugar, dust on another coat.

​Step 8
​Baker for 8 minutes, or until golden brown.

Eat. Share. Gift.

Ladyfingers