Ladyfingers (Biscuits à La Cuiller)

Submitted by Bayhill

"Posted for the ZWT-France. From "LaVarenne's Basic French Cookery" cookbook. Ladyfingers should be firm on the outside, soft inside, and only lightly browned."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 5mins
• Ingredients: 6
• Yields: 30 Ladyfingers

ingredients

• 157.80 ml all-purpose flour, sifted
• 0.25 ml salt
• 4 eggs, separated
• 118.29 ml granulated sugar, divided
• 2.46 ml vanilla extract
• 118.29 ml powdered sugar (icing sugar)

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees (175C degrees).
2. Grease and flour a baking sheet.
3. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks with 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar and vanilla until pale and thick enough to leave a ribbon trail* (see below).
4. In a medium bowl, whip egg whites until stiff peaks form (egg whites shouldn't be dry).
5. Add remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Beat 30 seconds longer to make a light meringue.
6. Sift flour and salt over the egg yolk mixture. Add 1/4 of the meringue mixture and gently fold together. Fold in remaining meringue in 2 batches.
7. Gently spoon batter into a pastry bag fitted with a 5/8-inch plain tube. Pipe uniform 3-1/2-inch Ladyfingers at least 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
8. Bake 15 to 18 minutes, wedging oven door ajar with a spoon so Ladyfingers dry as they bake. Remove from oven. Cool slightly on baking sheet. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
9. *Ribbon trail: When a whisk or beater is lifted, the batter falls slowly in a thick trail which does not sink immediately into the batter but remains on top for a few seconds.

Reviews

[gailanng]

a, e "iou" ya. Can't find these in my area any longer, except at the fancy high-priced bakeries. Made for PAC Spring 2010.

 

[4-H Mom]

These were good. I liked them because they weren't too sweet. They were easy to make. I will be making these again.

 

[MomLuvs6]

These were really good. Easy to make. Firm on the outside and soft, airy in the middle. Thank You. Made for ZWT8.