Ladyfingers, or Savoiardi in Italian, are very tasty crisp cookies whose long oval shapes look like big fingers. You can eat them on their own with a good cup of tea or coffee, but they are most often used in desserts such as Tiramisu or Zuppa Inglese, or custard.
You are probably thinking that buying them is much faster and easier. Well, the good thing is that the recipe is quite easy, but you need a ladyfinger baking sheet that you can buy on the internet . Baking ladyfingers without it might be frustrating because your cookies won’t rise properly. Moreover, they will cook much more evenly in a ladyfinger baking sheet.
These cookies are truly Italian, but they come in several versions. It is said that they date back to the XIV century when they were first baked by a famous chef for King Amedeo of Savoy. After, they were brought to other Italian regions under Savoy control, mostly Piedmont, and Molise. Although it is a very old cookie, the recipe hasn’t changed over the years.
inside of iTALIAN savoiardi
Ladyfingers are made of very plain ingredients found in any supermarket: sugar, eggs, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and lemon zest. These cookies provide your children with a delicious treat; adults who don’t like sweets definitely will appreciate them, too.
HOW CAN YOU STORE THE LADYFINGERS?
You can use these cookies to create more complex desserts. Or you can store and enjoy them with a creamy cappuccino or a good tea. Remember to keep them in an air-tight glass container for up to a week as they will become too soft and sticky if they get wet.
tips and tricks
- When making savoiardi cookies, also known as ladyfingers, following a few key tips and tricks can help ensure they turn out perfectly.
- One key tip is to beat the egg yolks and sugar until pale and fluffy. This will help create a light and airy texture in the cookies.
- Another important trick is to gently fold in the sifted flour mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Be careful not to overmix to maintain the delicate structure of the cookies.
- Additionally, piping the cookie batter onto a baking sheet in long strips will help achieve their signature elongated shape.
- Finally, for best results, remember to dust the baked cookies with powdered sugar before serving to add an elegant finishing touch.
savoiardi cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp lemon zest from one large lemon
Instructions
- Beat the eggs and sugar until light and very fluffy for at least 10 minutes. Use an electric mixer (KitchenAid) with a whip attachment (if you have it). When the eggs are foamy and thick enough to hold their shape when dropped from the whisk, add the honey and lemon zest.
- Sift in the flour and cornstarch. Fold gently with a flexible spatula until all the ingredients are well combined.
- Grease and flour the ladyfinger baking sheet.
- Use a pastry bag with a ½-inch round tip (size 10 if you can find it) and pipe the batter onto the baking sheet.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar and bake immediately; otherwise, the egg mixture will lose its fluffiness.
- If you have only one ladyfinger baking sheet, you will have to bake them in several batches, so be fast, or the batter will go flat.
- Bake at 400°F (205°C) for about 10 minutes until golden and firm. They should be opaque, not shiny.
- Use them immediately in tiramisu or store them as they will lose their crispness if they sit out.