Homemade Italian Savoiardi (Ladyfingers)
Light, airy, and delicately sweet, these homemade Italian savoiardi are the perfect sponge cookies for tiramisu, dipping in coffee, or enjoying on their own. With just a few simple ingredients and classic Italian technique, you’ll create bakery-quality ladyfingers right at home.
Servings: 24 cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 120 grams sugar
- 4 eggs separated
- 110 grams all purpose flour
- 40 grams potato flour or corn starch
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 340 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Start by separating the egg yolk from the egg whites. Place the egg whites and half of the sugar in a stand mixer (or hand mixer) with a whisk attachment. Start on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually increase to high speed. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- Mix the egg yolks, vanilla, and remaining sugar until combined. Add egg yolk mixture to the egg whites, a little at a time, until completely incorporated. Do not over mix.
- Sift in the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and incorporate well. Careful not to over mix the batter.
- Then, spoon the sponge cake batter to a piping bag or pastry bag with a wide tip. Pipe the batter onto prepared baking sheets lined with parchment paper. I use a standard cookie sheet.
- Squeeze out 4"/8 cm strips onto the baking tray, keep them a few inches apart. Bake about 15 minutes until well risen and golden. Remove from oven and let cool on a cooking rack. Mangia! (eat!)
Notes
- Weigh your ingredients: Using a kitchen scale keeps the flour and sugar perfectly balanced, preventing dry or dense cookies.
- Use a clean mixing bowl: Any trace of grease can prevent the egg whites from whipping. A spotless metal or glass bowl gives the best volume.
- Fold gently: Lightly fold the yolks into the whipped whites, then fold in the dry ingredients. Over-mixing deflates the batter and leads to flat ladyfingers.
- Don’t open the oven: Ladyfingers are delicate. Keep the oven closed while baking to prevent collapsing.
Nutrition
Calories: 53kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 26mg | Potassium: 32mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 40IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 0.4mg
