Italian ladyfingers

You won’t forget these biscuits because they enshrine the taste of Italy: they belong to the truest Italian tradition. They are known as Savoiardi (Italian sponge biscuits) or Ladyfingers. You may enjoy them along with a cup of tea or coffee, but they are also used to make the well-known tiramisù.

Simple ingredients: sugar, eggs, honey, flour, and lemon zest to taste. I’ll just reveal a few tricks you’ll never find in any cookery books because they are jealously kept secret: you will bake perfect ladyfingers.

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Course Snack

Cuisine Italian

Keyword italian biscuits, Italian Savoiardi

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 15

Total Time 40

Ingredients

2 cups of sugar (250g)
4 eggs
2 tbsp of honey
2 cups of all-purpose flour (250g)
½ cup + 2 tbsp of cornstarch (70g)
1 tbsp of lemon zest from 1 large lemon

Servings 50 cookies (about)

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.