First Lady Fingers Recipes

LADYFINGERS FOR TIRAMISU

Steps:

• Draw two 13-by-4-inch rectangular templates on each of two pieces of parchment paper; place on rimmed baking sheets; set aside. Prepare a large pastry bag with a 1/2-inch tip, and set aside.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk yolks, 10 tablespoons granulated sugar, and vanilla using high speed on an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, until mixture is thick and pale, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add flour, folding in gently; set aside. Using electric mixer, whisk egg whites until frothy. While whisking, gradually add remaining 1 tablespoon sugar; beat until stiff, 1 to 2 minutes. Fold 1/3 of whites into reserved yolk mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites until just incorporated.
• Fill pastry bag with batter, and pipe ladyfingers, 1/2 inch thick, between the short lines drawn on parchment paper. Using a fine mesh sieve, generously dust ladyfingers with confectioners' sugar, and allow the sugar to soak in, about 3 minutes. Place in oven and bake, rotating trays once, until light golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool and dry out slightly, at least 2 hours. Remove from parchment paper.

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.

FIRST LADY FINGERS

Steps:

• Let eggs stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Grease and lightly flour two baking sheets; set aside. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks on high speed for 3 minutes. Gradually add sugar, beating until thick and pale yellow. Beat in extract. Gradually add flour and salt, beating until well blended. In a small bowl and with clean beaters, beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. Fold into yolk mixture., cut a 1/2-in. hole in a corner of a heavy-duty plastic bag, or use a pastry bag with a #808 (1/2-in.) round pastry tip. Fill with batter. Form 4-in.-long finger shapes 1 in. apart on prepared baking sheets. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack. Serve with ice cream if desired.

HOMEMADE LADY FINGERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 baking sheets with 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons of flour. Mark parallel lines in the flour across the width of the tray about 4 inches apart. Put the eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl, and with an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is pale yellow, thick, and has tripled in volume, about 8 minutes, using the mixer. Add the egg whites, remaining 3/4 cup flour, salt and vanilla, fold to mix thoroughly so the mixture is smooth. Fill a large pastry bag with a 3/4-inch plain tube with the mixture. Pipe fingers about 4 1/2-inches in length on to the baking sheet, using the lines as a guide. Dust the ladyfingers with powdered sugar. Bake until for 15 to 18 minutes, or until just firm on the outside and soft in the center.

LADYFINGERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, sift together flour, cornstarch, and salt; set aside. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg yolks, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and the vanilla until light and creamy, about 4 minutes; set aside.
• In the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a clean whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium-high speed with 1/4 cup granulated sugar until foamy. Add cream of tartar, and continue to beat until soft peaks form. With machine running, gradually add remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar, beating into stiff, glossy peaks.
• Fold egg-yolk mixture into egg-white mixture, then fold in dry ingredients. Do not overmix.
• Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip. Pipe 4-inch cookies onto prepared baking sheets leaving about 1 inch between cookies. Lightly dust with confectioners' sugar. Bake until just beginning to brown around the edges, about 8 minutes; rotate pans once after 4 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Will keep, at room temperature, in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
• Just before serving, dust with confectioners' sugar and, if desired, sandwich raspberry jam or lemon curd between them.

SOFT LADY FINGERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
• Beat yolks with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale yellow, then gradually beat in all but 1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar.
• Beat at medium-high speed until pale yellow, tripled in volume, and thick enough to form a ribbon that takes 5 seconds to dissolve when beater is lifted, 5 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir until just combined (batter will be very stiff).
• Beat egg whites with cleaned beaters until they just hold soft peaks.
• Add remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar in a slow stream, then beat until whites hold stiff peaks.
• Stir one third of whites into yolk mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Spoon batter into pastry bag.
• Line a large baking sheet with parchment, piping a dab of batter under each corner to secure. Pipe 2 rows of (3 1/2-inch-long) ladyfingers (12 to 16 per row) onto sheet, piping them so they almost touch. Dust with confectioners sugar.
• Bake until pale golden, dry, and soft but springy to the touch, 14 to 16 minutes. Cool completely on baking sheet.

LADYFINGERS

Steps:

• Position 2 racks in the middle of the oven; preheat the oven to 325. Generously grease 2 baking sheets with butter (about 2 tablespoons) and dust with flour; tap off the excess flour.
• Measure out the flour and put in a fine-mesh strainer set in a bowl. Beat the egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until thick and pale, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat until just combined. Transfer the egg yolk mixture to a large bowl. Clean out the mixer and dry.
• Put the egg whites and salt in the mixer; beat with the whisk attachment on medium speed, adding the remaining 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoonful at a time, until combined, about 3 minutes. Increase the speed to medium high and continue beating until the egg whites are shiny and stiff, 4 to 6 minutes.
• Add one-third of the egg white mixture to the yolk mixture, then sift about one-third of the flour over the eggs. Gently fold the ingredients together with a rubber spatula. Repeat 2 more times, folding in one-third each of the egg white mixture and flour each time. (Do not overmix or the batter will deflate.) Put the confectioners' sugar in the mesh strainer.
• Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip. Pipe 3-inch ladyfingers onto the prepared baking sheets, about 11/2 inches apart. Dust the ladyfingers with some of the confectioners' sugar to coat and set aside until the sugar starts to dissolve, about 5 minutes. Dust with another coating of confectioners' sugar. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through the cooking time. Remove the ladyfingers with a spatula and transfer to a rack to cool.

LADYFINGERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Sift together the flour, half of the sugar and the salt, three times.
• Beat the egg whites until stiff and gradually beat in the remaining sugar. Beat the egg yolks until thick and lemon-colored and fold, with the vanilla, into the egg-white mixture. Sift the flour mixture, a third at a time, over the eggs and fold in carefully.
• Line ungreased baking sheets with unglazed paper. Press the batter through a pastry bag onto the paper, or shape with a spoon into strips about four inches by three-quarter inches.
• Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the paper with a spatula and cool on a rack.