Chocolate Fingers Recipes

CHOCOLATE LADYFINGERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Sift the cake flour and cocoa powder together in a small mixing bowl and set aside. Place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl and whip until foamy with an electric mixer set on medium speed. Make a French meringue by adding the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. When you whip egg whites, add the sugar slowly to allow the whites to gain some volume. When you have volume, add the rest of the sugar. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and whip to stiff but not dry peaks, about 5 minutes. When the whites are slightly stiff, reduce the mixer speed to low to allow even more air to be incorporated without over whipping the egg whites. Let the egg whites continue to whip for about another 2 minutes. Stop whipping them if they begin to look dry or separated.
• Very gently, fold the egg yolks into the whipped egg whites with a rubber spatula until they are partially incorporated. Carefully fold the sifted mixture into the egg mixture. It is important to fold as gently as possible to avoid deflating the batter. Remember to fold all the way to the bottom of the bowl to fully incorporate both mixtures.
• Place the batter in a pastry bag fitted with a 3/4-inch plain tip. To pipe the ladyfingers, hold the pastry bag at a slight angle and allow the tip to touch the parchment paper as you start to pipe. Squeeze gently, applying even pressure as you pipe the desired length, then stop squeezing and lift the tip straight up, leaving a small tail on the end of each ladyfinger. Pipe evenly shaped ladyfingers about 3/4-inch wide on a parchment paper-covered sheet pan. Space them about 1/2-inch apart to allow them room to spread as they bake. Dust the tops of the ladyfingers with powdered sugar to give them a nice crust.
• Bake the ladyfingers until light and evenly browned, about 5 minutes. (The browning may be difficult to discern with the chocolate ladyfingers.) Remove from the oven and immediately move to a wire rack to prevent the heat of the pan from continuing to bake the ladyfingers. Set aside until ready to use. When cooled, the ladyfingers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the freezer, well wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 2 weeks.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD FINGERS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment. Put the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric hand whisk for about 5 mins until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and beat again until fully incorporated.
• Sift in the flour, cornflour and baking powder, and fold into the mixture using a spatula until combined (the dough should have a tacky consistency). Spoon the dough into a piping bag fitted with a large star-shaped nozzle. If all the mixture doesn't fit, do it in 2 batches.
• Pipe 10cm long, 1.5cm wide fingers onto the baking sheets, making sure there are 3cm spaces between each finger. Bake for 8-10 mins, swapping the trays over halfway through the cooking time, until pale golden and cooked through. Leave to cool on the baking sheets for a few mins, then transfer to wire racks.
• Melt the chocolate separately over a pan of gently simmering water (making sure that the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water) or in the microwave in short bursts, stirring every 15 secs or so. Dip 1 end of the shortbread fingers into the bowl of milk chocolate and the other end in the white chocolate. Leave to set on baking parchment before serving.

LADYFINGERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Line two 17 x 12 inch baking sheets with baking parchment. Fit large pastry bag with a plain 1/2 inch round tube.
• Place egg whites in bowl and beat on high until soft peaks start to form. Slowly add 2 tablespoons of the sugar and continue beating until stiff and glossy. In another bowl beat egg yolks and remaining sugar. Whip until thick and very pale in color.
• Sift flour and baking powder together on a sheet of wax paper. Fold half the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Fold in flour, and then add the remaining egg whites. Transfer mixture to pastry bag and pipe out onto prepared baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes.

CHOCOLATE FINGERS, THE BAR TO BEAT ALL BARS! (NO BAKE)

Steps:

• Line a 20 x 31 cm (8 x 12 inch) container with plastic clingfilm.
• Melt the butter over a very low heat completely in a saucepan, then add the condensed milk and keep mixing until the butter "disappears', i.e.) there is no yellow showing in the mixture.
• Combine condensed milk mixture with all the dry ingredients of the chocolate fingers part of the recipe and mix well.
• Press mixture into a 20 x 31 cm (8 x 12 inch) container.
• Ice with chocolate icing.
• Refrigerate until firm.
• Once firm, make a central cut to cut the slice in half and then gently use the clingfilm to ease the slice out of the pan and cut it into fingers or squares on a cutting board.
• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

ALMOND CHOCOLATE FINGERS

Steps:

• BASE.
• Place butter, ground almonds and sugar in small bowl and beat until combined. Add eggs, mix well. Add sifted sugar and flour and stir through. Grease 2 oven trays, line with greaseproof paper and grease paper lightly. Divide base evenly between the trays, spreading mixture to a length of 20cm (8in) by 15 cm (6in) wide. Bake in a moderately hot oven for 7 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and spread with topping whilst still warm. Return to oven and bake a further 5 minutes or until topping is a pale golden brown colour.
• Cut into fingers while still warm and allow to cool on wire rack. Melt chocolate and Copha in top part of a double saucepan over simmering water ( I use my microwave on a low setting) . Pour chocolate into a small bowl, dip biscuits diagonally (so as to get chocolate on a diagonal) into chocolate, place on aluminum foil to set. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.
• TOPPING.
• Place butter, sugar glucose, flaked almonds and water in a small saucepan, stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to boil and boil for 4 minutes.

HAZELNUT ESPRESSO FINGERS IN CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Place hazelnuts in a food processor; cover and process until ground. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in espresso powder and vanilla. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in hazelnuts., Shape scant tablespoonfuls of dough into 2-in. logs. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 9-11 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool completely., In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip each cookie halfway into chocolate mixture, allowing excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set. Store in an airtight container.