Don’t miss this! This recipe is an essential part of tomorrow’s pumpkin tiramisu recipe, which is pretty rich, if I do say so myself. So much for easing into things this week.
Here’s the thing, you can totally skip this step and buy ladyfingers at your grocer. Whatever, I was just trying to be double cool. Don’t know if it was worth it. You might try doubling the recipe also. I found myself wishing for a few more ladyfingers for the tiramisu.
So important, not,
L
Ladyfingers
Adapted from Joy of Baking
1/2 cup (65 grams) cake flour, sifted
3 large egg yolks, room temperature
2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated white sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large egg whites, room temperature
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
3 tablespoons (36 grams) granulated white sugar
Powdered sugar, for dusting
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Have ready a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch round tip, or just snip a medium-sized bit off the end of a piping bag.
Wipe out the bowl of the electric mixer with a vinegar-soaked paper towel. Using with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add the 3 tablespoons white sugar and whip until stiff peaks form. Remove the egg whites to a bowl.
In the electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the egg yolks and 2 tablespoons (25 grams) white sugar on high speed for about 5 minutes or until the mixture becomes thick and pale yellow. (When you raise the beaters the batter should fall back into the bowl in a slow ribbon.) Beat in the vanilla extract. Sift the cake flour over the batter but do not fold in yet. Add the egg whites, then fold the whites into the egg yolk and flour mixture in three additions, mixing only until incorporated.
Pipe the batter in 3 inch sections, leaving about a 1 inch space between the cookies.
Place the powdered sugar in a wire strainer, and sift over the tops of the cookies. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the ladyfingers are firm but barely browned and are still spongy when pressed.
Remove the baking sheets from the oven and slide the parchment paper from the baking sheets onto a wire rack. Let the ladyfingers cool for a few minutes and release them from the parchment paper, with a spatula. Finish cooling on a wire rack. If you are not using the ladyfingers right away, freeze them in a plastic bag.
Makes about 4 1/2 dozen 3 -inch ladyfingers.
I was just thinking about making homemade ladyfingers for a tiramisu. These look great!