Homemade Ladyfingers
I’ll be completely honest, ladyfingers aren’t my favorite cookies. In fact, they’re not even in my top 100… at least not for enjoying by themselves. These light, airy, delicate sponge cookies have their place in my kitchen, but usually only if they’re dipped in coffee and rum and buried beneath airy mascarpone cream. Maybe you’ve had them this way before? They’re a key ingredient for making Tiramisu! Unfortunately, ladyfingers can be notoriously difficult to find in most grocery stores (or maybe that’s just the grocery stores near me?) so when I started developing my Tiramisu recipe (coming next week!) I knew I needed to provide a way for you to make your own ladyfingers. Besides, everything is better made from-scratch anyway. Today I’m sharing my recipe for homemade ladyfingers or, “savoiardi”. They work perfectly in Tiramisu and while they may be plain, simple and not that great on their own (just sharing my honest opinion, if you’re looking for a good simple snacking cookie then try my meringues), they’re still definitely worth knowing how to make. Let’s get started.
What You Need for Homemade Ladyfingers
This recipe uses basic ingredients you probably already have on hand:
Eggs. You’ll need six eggs total and you’ll need to divide the yolks and whites. For best results, use room-temperature eggs. You’ll get more volume when you whip them and this helps to keep the ladyfingers from going flat while baking.Granulated Sugar. Most of the granulated sugar will go into the batter, but sprinkling a bit on top of the unbaked ladyfingers gives them a lightly sweetened and crunchy exterior. Flour. I use and recommend all-purpose flour and have not tested any other type of flour with this recipe.Cornstarch. Cornstarch adds structure to the batter and helps keep the savoiardi from spreading. Salt & Vanilla extract. For flavor!
Room Temperature Eggs, FAST: Bring eggs to room temperature quickly by placing them in a bowl of warm (not hot) water for 15 minutes, then dry and use as indicated!
How to Make Ladyfinger Batter
There’s a bit of technique required to make perfect ladyfingers (anytime we’re working with egg whites things can get a bit fussy) but follow my steps and you won’t have any problem:
Piping & Baking Ladyfingers (Savoiardi)
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Enjoy, and stay tuned for my Tiramisu post coming early next week!! Let’s bake together! Make sure to check out the how-to VIDEO in the recipe card!