Savoiardi (Italian Ladyfingers) are a light and airy biscuit typically soaked in liquer for Tiramisu. When freshly baked, they are spongy and soft, but when dried out they are airy and crunchy, which for me, is irrististable. Not quite as dense and crunchy as biscotti, they are absolutely delicious when dipped in coffee or hot cocoa. I wanted to give these extra flavor so they can stand alone as a cookie. These get a heavy dusting of powdered sugar, Dutch Cocoa, and espresso powder for extra decadence.
I used a silicone mold to get perfect shapes and I absolutely love the result. Here is the one I use linked in my Amazon Storefront
Find the recipe and tips for making them perfectly below:
Yield: 20 ladyfingers Prep time: 15 minutes Bake Time: 15 Minutes + 30 minutes for drying
Ingredients:
· 6 Room Temperature Egg Whites (about 200 grams)
· 6 Room Temperature Egg Yolks (about 110 grams)
· 1 cup of granulated sugar, divided in half.
· 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
· 2 teaspoons of Amaretto flavoring or Almond Extract
· 1 tablespoon of Dutch Cocoa powder (+ plus more for dusting)
· 1 cup of cake flour (All Purpose works as well)
· 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
Method:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and lay out two baking sheets lined with parchment paper. If you're using a silicone mold, lay that on the baking sheet and lightly spray with baking spray.
Set two large mixing bowls side by side and attach beaters to a hand mixer. (I found that not using my stand mixer here was a little easier, but you certainly can). Crack the eggs and separate the egg whites into one large bowl and drop the egg yolk into the other bowl until you have 6 whites and 6 yolks separated between the two bowls. Start with the egg whites and beat on high until they begin to foam. While beating, gradually add in half a cup of sugar and continue to whip on high until you have stiff peaks. The egg whites should be very firm and glossy.
Move to the bowl with the egg yolks and add in the other half a cup of sugar. Beat the egg yolks and sugar on high until they become very thick and pale, which should take about 3-5 minutes.
In a 3rd bowl, sift together the cocoa powder, cake flour, and baking powder and set aside.
Take the egg yolk mixture and pour about 1/3 of it into the bowl of whipped egg whites and gently fold in with a rubber spatula. Once that is just incorporated, add in 1/3 of the dry mixture and fold that in gently as well. Repeat this by alternating the egg yolks with the dry mixture until just incorporated, taking care not to deflate the egg whites.
Fill a large piping bag with the batter. If you're using a plastic disposable piping bag, don't snip the tip until you're ready to pipe, as it will flow out quickly.
If you're using a reusable piping bag, fit it with a large round piping tip and fill.
Pipe even lines of batter onto the bare parchment-lined baking sheet, or into the silicone mold. Pipe slowly in nice even lines to preserve the rectangle shape. They don't have to be perfect at all but going slowly will help them look more consistent.
Bake each sheet at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. Touch the tops to check for doneness; if they spring back, they are ready to pull out. Allow them to cool on the sheet pan for a few minutes. They will be soft and spongy at this point. You can leave them on the counter to dry out or you can dry them in the oven.
For Drying:
Preheat the oven to 175 degrees. Lay the ladyfingers out onto a sheet pan or cooling rack and place them in the oven for approximately 30 minutes until they are crispy.
Dust them heavily with a mix of:
· 1/2 cup of Confectioner's sugar
· 2 tablespoons of espresso powder
· 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
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