Ladyfingers

Ladyfingers -- known in Italy as "savoiardi" -- are sweet, little, fairly dry, finger-shaped sponge cakes.
The Epicurious OnLine Dictionary describes a "ladyfinger" as a "light, delicate sponge cake roughly shaped like a rather large, fat finger. It's used as an accompaniment to ice cream, puddings and other desserts. Ladyfingers are also employed as an integral part of some desserts, including Charlottes. Ladyfingers can be made at home or purchased in bakeries or supermarkets."
According to the Parisian cooking school, Le Cordon Bleu, leftover sponge cake, brioche, or genoise cake may be used in place of ladyfingers. They advise cooks to be careful, for ladyfinger batter is very fragile. They recommend folding the flour and yolks in very carefully into the meringue so that the whites don't lose their volume.
Ladyfingers may be stored up to a week in an airtight container. They may also be frozen to extend their useful life.

Ladyfinger Recipes

Ladyfinger recipes can be found in Classic Techniques of Italian Cooking by Giuliano Bugialli.
There are several ladyfinger recipes online:

Flo Braker's recipe from The Simple Art of Perfect Baking

Golden Ladyfingers, featured during the presentation of Goldfinger on TBS's Dinner & a Movie
Mary Armstrong's recipe from her "Sweet Things" website

Le Cordon Bleu ("The Blue Ribbon") is the world's most famous cooking school. In 1991, they published Le Cordon Bleu at Home (NY: William Morrow & Co., Inc.), a wonderful 578-page quality book that serves as a course in cooking preparation techniques. This is their first complete English-language cookbook, and it initiates amateurs in the fundamentals of French cuisine, covering basic through advanced techniques. Here is their ladyfinger recipe:

Le Cordon Bleu Ladyfinger Recipe
Ingredients:

Eggs, 3 separated
Granulated Sugar, 6 tbs
Cake Flour, sifted, 3/4 c
Confectioner's Sugar, 6 tbs
Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, then brush 2 baking sheets with softened butter and line with parchment paper.
2. Beat the egg whites with a whisk or electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
3. Gradually beat in the ganulated sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form again; the meringue will be glossy and smooth..
4. Lightly beat the egg yolks with a fork, and fold into the meringue with a wooden spoon.
5. Sift the flour over the mixture and fold in gently.
6. Pipe the ladyfingers: Fit the pastry bag with the large plain tip and fill with the ladyfinger batter.
7. Pipe strips of batter 5 in. long and 3/4 in. wide diagonally onto the baking sheets, leaving 1 to 2 in. between each strip.
8. Sprinkle half the confectioner's sugar over the ladyfingers; wait 5 minutes and sprinkle with the remaining sugar.
9. Holding the parchment paper in place with your thumb, lift one side of the baking sheet and gently tap it on the work surface to remove excess confectioner's sugar.
10. Bake without opening the oven door for 10 min.
11. Then, rotate the baking sheet so the ladyfingers color evenly.
12. Cook until lightly golden, about 5 more minutes.
13. Remove the ladyfingers from the baking sheet with a metal spatula while still hot, and let cool on a rack.

A number of Tiramisu website visitors answered our call for their ladyfinger recipes. To these fine people, we offer a hearty "Heaven In Your Mouth" pat on the back.

Maylien Swenerton's Ladyfinger Recipe
Ingredients:

Egg Whites, 4
Cream of Tartar, 1/4 tsp
Granulated Sugar, 5 tbs + 5 tbs
Egg Yolks, 2
Vanilla, 1 tsp
Salt, 1/8 tsp
Flour, sifted, 1-1/4 c
Baking Powder, 1/2 tsp

Makes about 3 dozen Directions:

1. Beat egg whites until foamy, sprinkle in cream of tartar and beat.
2. Add 5 tbs sugar, 1 tbs at a time, continue beating until meringue is stiff but not dry.
3. In another bowl, beat together egg yolks, vanilla and salt until light.
4. Add the second 5 tbs sugar, one at a time, beat until thick.
5. Fold egg yolk mixture into egg white mixture.
6. Using cookie press with a 5/8-inch-wide half-round nozzle, and holding press in semi-horizontal position, pipe 3-inch fingers on well-greased cookie sheets.
7. Bake for 6-8 min. in a 450 oven, then remove at once to a rack to cool.
8. Sift confectioner's (powdered) sugar over tops.
9. Put on cookie sheet after cooling; free individually, pack loosely in a rigid freezer container.

Windsor Court Hotel (New Orleans) Ladyfinger Recipe
(Submitted by J. Barrett Francis)
Ingredients:

Egg Yolks, 8 oz
Sugar, 5 oz + 5 oz
Egg Whites, 12 oz
Cake Flour, sifted, 10 oz Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl with wire attachment, whip the yolks and sugar until light and frothy; set aside.
2. In a very clean and dry mixing bowl, whip the whites until stiff.
3. Add the sugar slowly to the egg whites.
4. Add the second 5 tbs sugar, one at a time, beat until thick.
5. Fold egg yolk mixture into egg white mixture.
6. Fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture.
7. Fold in the flour.
8. Pipe onto a sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 450 degrees until they bounce back when touched.

Eric Clever's Recipe
Ingredients:

Egg Yolks, 12
Egg Whites, 15
Sugar, 9 oz
Flour, sifted, 7 oz
Salt, 1/2 tsp
Constarch, 3-1/2 oz
Lemon Rind, 1 Directions:

1. Beat egg yolks until thick and lemon colored.
2. Whip the whites until stiff, but not dry.
3. Fold the sugar into the egg whites gradually.
4. Whip until thick.
5. Fold in the egg yolks.
6. Sift the flour, cornstarch and salt together.
7. Fold dry ingredients into the egg mixture; add lemon rind.
8. With a pastry tube, pipe the mixture into finger-size strips onto a greased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar.
9. Bake at 375 degrees (190 celsius) for about 12 minutes.

Where To Get Ladyfingers

Ladyfingers are available at almost any bakery. Often, large supermarkets carry prepackaged ladyfingers in their pastry sections. They are available online at My Italian Market.
Specialty bakers has a new website with recipes, ideas, history and a "Did You Know" section, all devoted to ladyfingers. And, you can order right from the site. It's at Specialty Bakers Ladyfingers.

IN YOUR TOWN?: Trader Joe's (Seasonal, imported ladyfingers from France)
AR: Little Rock, Hestand's in the Heights (North University, between Cantrell and Kavanaugh, phone [501] 663-1417)
AZ: Yuma, Fry's Grocery
CA: Buena Park – Albertson’s, Valley View and Lincoln
CA: Central area: Whole Foods Market (San Francisco, Mill Valley, Los Gatos, Palo Alto, Berkeley, San Rafael, Campbell and Cupertino -- all in Central California)
CA: Cortina, 99-Cent Stores
CA: Oakland, Albertson's Supermarket, Svenhard's Swedish Baker
CA: Santa Clara – Cosentino’s (hard savoiardi)
CA: Santa Clara – Safeway, at 3071 Stevens Creek (hard and soft savoiardi)
CA: West Covina, Old World Deli
FL: Merritt Island – Albertson’s, near Cocoa Beach (mascarpone cheese and ladyfingers)
GA: Warren Robins – Kroeger’s
KS: Hen House Supermarkets
KY: Louisville – Whole Food Market
MD: Towson – Trader Joe’s
MN: Duluth – The Italian Village, 301 N Central Ave., Duluth 55807, phone (218) 624-2286
MN: Eagan – Briano’s Deli-Italia, 2280 Cliff Rd., Eagan 55122, phone (651) 895-1088, (fax (651) 895-1021. (Also sells pre-made Tiramisu in its Deli Section)
MN: St. Paul – Buon Giornos, 335 University Ave. E., (just east of the capital complex), phone (651) 224-1816
MS: Meridian – Winn Dixie, Highway 39 North (Alessi brand)
NC: Boone – Harris Teeters
NC: Jacksonville – Winn Dixie, Western Blvd.
OH: Columbus – Kroeger, and Meijer markets, in Italian section
TN: Memphis – Lucchesi's on Sanderlin Rd.
TX: Many cities – (Cost Plus) World Market
TX: Austin – H-E-B (H.E. Butt) Grocery Stores, Central Market, Whole Foods
TX: Dallas, Tom Thumb markets
TX: Round Rock – H-E-B on 620 and O'Conner
TX: Wichita Falls, Kouri's Supermarket
UT: Salt Lake City, Frank Granato Importing Co. (1391 S. 300 W. and 4044 S. 2700 E.)
WA: Vancouver – Gateway Produce, 4th Plain
WI: Brookfield, Sendik's Brookfield. Inc. (18985 W.Capitol Dr., Brookfield, WI 53045; "Alessi" Biscotti Savoiardi)
WI: Kenosha, Tenuta's (a local Italian grocery, 3203 - 52nd St.)
CANADA, Ontatio: Toronto, Dominion Supermarket, 89 Gould St., pretty close to Ryerson University; cross streets Dundas and Church (Mutual). Website: http://www.freshobsessed.com
NORWAY: Ultra grocery store chain

Local Sources Wanted!

Several site visitors have asked for help in finding ladyfingers in their area. Sources are still wanted for the following cities (alphabetical by state/city):

TX: Round Rock
If you have a source in these areas, please notify us.

**Le Cordon Bleu Ladyfinger Recipe**
Ingredients: Eggs, 3 separated Granulated Sugar, 6 tbs Cake Flour, sifted, 3/4 c Confectioner's Sugar, 6 tbs	Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, then brush 2 baking sheets with softened butter and line with parchment paper. 2. Beat the egg whites with a whisk or electric mixer until stiff peaks form. 3. Gradually beat in the ganulated sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form again; the meringue will be glossy and smooth.. 4. Lightly beat the egg yolks with a fork, and fold into the meringue with a wooden spoon. 5. Sift the flour over the mixture and fold in gently. 6. Pipe the ladyfingers: Fit the pastry bag with the large plain tip and fill with the ladyfinger batter. 7. Pipe strips of batter 5 in. long and 3/4 in. wide diagonally onto the baking sheets, leaving 1 to 2 in. between each strip. 8. Sprinkle half the confectioner's sugar over the ladyfingers; wait 5 minutes and sprinkle with the remaining sugar. 9. Holding the parchment paper in place with your thumb, lift one side of the baking sheet and gently tap it on the work surface to remove excess confectioner's sugar. 10. Bake without opening the oven door for 10 min. 11. Then, rotate the baking sheet so the ladyfingers color evenly. 12. Cook until lightly golden, about 5 more minutes. 13. Remove the ladyfingers from the baking sheet with a metal spatula while still hot, and let cool on a rack.

**Maylien Swenerton's Ladyfinger Recipe**
Ingredients: Egg Whites, 4 Cream of Tartar, 1/4 tsp Granulated Sugar, 5 tbs + 5 tbs Egg Yolks, 2 Vanilla, 1 tsp Salt, 1/8 tsp Flour, sifted, 1-1/4 c Baking Powder, 1/2 tsp Makes about 3 dozen	Directions: 1. Beat egg whites until foamy, sprinkle in cream of tartar and beat. 2. Add 5 tbs sugar, 1 tbs at a time, continue beating until meringue is stiff but not dry. 3. In another bowl, beat together egg yolks, vanilla and salt until light. 4. Add the second 5 tbs sugar, one at a time, beat until thick. 5. Fold egg yolk mixture into egg white mixture. 6. Using cookie press with a 5/8-inch-wide half-round nozzle, and holding press in semi-horizontal position, pipe 3-inch fingers on well-greased cookie sheets. 7. Bake for 6-8 min. in a 450 oven, then remove at once to a rack to cool. 8. Sift confectioner's (powdered) sugar over tops. 9. Put on cookie sheet after cooling; free individually, pack loosely in a rigid freezer container.

**Windsor Court Hotel (New Orleans) Ladyfinger Recipe**
(Submitted by J. Barrett Francis)
Ingredients: Egg Yolks, 8 oz Sugar, 5 oz + 5 oz Egg Whites, 12 oz Cake Flour, sifted, 10 oz	Directions: 1. In a mixing bowl with wire attachment, whip the yolks and sugar until light and frothy; set aside. 2. In a very clean and dry mixing bowl, whip the whites until stiff. 3. Add the sugar slowly to the egg whites. 4. Add the second 5 tbs sugar, one at a time, beat until thick. 5. Fold egg yolk mixture into egg white mixture. 6. Fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture. 7. Fold in the flour. 8. Pipe onto a sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 450 degrees until they bounce back when touched.

**Eric Clever's Recipe**
Ingredients: Egg Yolks, 12 Egg Whites, 15 Sugar, 9 oz Flour, sifted, 7 oz Salt, 1/2 tsp Constarch, 3-1/2 oz Lemon Rind, 1	Directions: 1. Beat egg yolks until thick and lemon colored. 2. Whip the whites until stiff, but not dry. 3. Fold the sugar into the egg whites gradually. 4. Whip until thick. 5. Fold in the egg yolks. 6. Sift the flour, cornstarch and salt together. 7. Fold dry ingredients into the egg mixture; add lemon rind. 8. With a pastry tube, pipe the mixture into finger-size strips onto a greased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. 9. Bake at 375 degrees (190 celsius) for about 12 minutes.

Return To What's Tiramisu Page.

Sign The Tiramisu Guestbook
View The Tiramisu Guestbook