Ladyfingers Recipe | CDKitchen.com (2024)

serves/makes:

ready in:

30-60 minutes

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease baking sheets, then lightly dust with flour.

Sift together the flour and salt.

In a bowl, add the egg whites and beat with a mixer until stiff peaks form. Beat in the half of the sugar.

Combine the egg yolks and remaining sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed with an electric mixer until blended (about 2 minutes).

With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the flour to the egg yolks. Just mix until combined. Stir in the vanilla with a spatula.

Add the egg whites all at once to the yolk mixture. Fold in gently until just combined.

Gently spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain-tip nozzle. Pipe 4-inch long lines on the baking sheets, leaving about 1-inch between them.

Lightly sift powdered sugar over the ladyfingers.

Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake at 300 degrees F for 20 minutes or until the outside is set. Remove the sheets from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes then remove the ladyfingers to a cooling rack.

Be careful not to overmix the batter to keep the ladyfingers light and airy.

Dust the baking sheets with flour for easy removal of the ladyfingers.

Allow the ladyfingers to cool completely on a wire rack before using them in desserts.

To make chocolate ladyfingers, substitute a portion of the flour with cocoa powder.

If you don't have a pastry bag, you can use a spoon to drop small rounds of batter onto the baking sheet.

For a crispy ladyfinger, bake them a little longer until they are golden brown all over.

Pastry Bag and Tip: For piping the delicate ladyfinger batter onto the prepared baking sheets in straight lines, giving them their iconic shape and texture. Alternately, you can use a plastic bag with the corner snipped off.

Mixer: To beat the egg whites to stiff peaks and to mix the egg yolks with sugar to form the batter. A handheld mixer or stand mixer can be used.

Mixing Bowls: At least two are required - one for beating the egg whites and sugar, and another for combining the egg yolks, sugar, and flour. Make sure the bowls are clean and dry.

Spatula: Used for gently folding the stiff egg whites into the egg yolk batter without deflating them, providing a light and airy texture for the ladyfingers.

Baking Sheets: To hold the piped ladyfinger batter while they bake in the oven. Greasing and lightly dusting with flour helps prevent sticking.

Cooling Rack: After baking, the ladyfingers should be transferred to a cooling rack to cool completely. This allows air to circulate around them, maintaining their crispy texture.

Coffee or Espresso: pair these homemade ladyfingers with a strong cup of coffee or espresso for a classic Italian dessert combo. The light, airy texture of the ladyfingers will soak up the bold coffee flavors without getting soggy.

Tiramisu: use these homemade ladyfingers as the base for a delicious tiramisu. The slight sweetness and delicate texture of the ladyfingers will pair perfectly with the creamy, rich layers of mascarpone cheese and espresso.

Lemon Curd: serve these ladyfingers alongside a tangy lemon curd for a refreshing flavor contrast. The light sweetness of the ladyfingers will complement the sharpness of the lemon curd.