Classic Ladyfingers Recipe

Ladyfingers are a plain, yet elegant cookie that, as recipe developer Eric Ngo tells us, "can be eaten on their own," and he suggests pairing them with coffee or tea should you do so. He tells us, though, that "they are often associated with desserts such as Italian tiramisu and the French dessert charlotte" and they can also be used in no-bake cake recipes. While you can buy ready-made ladyfingers to use in cooking, Ngo says this is unnecessary since you can save yourself some money and a trip to the store with this easy DIY version.

"Making lady fingers at home is fairly convenient because they only require common ingredients," Ngo explains. The cookies themselves are actually made from nothing more than eggs, flour, and sugar, though Ngo also likes to dust them with a coating of powdered sugar before baking them. This not only makes them just a little bit sweeter, but also gives them a kind of elegant, snow-covered appearance.

To make these ladyfingers, all you will need is flour, sugar (both granulated and powdered), and eggs. In this recipe you will be using an equal amount of egg yolks and egg whites, but these will need to be separated as they are only reunited after the whites have been whipped.

Preheat the oven to 400 F, then separate the eggs. Beat the whites until they form medium peaks, then start adding the granulated sugar a tablespoon at a time. Beat the egg/sugar mixture until It forms stiff, glossy peaks. "This mixture is now called a French meringue," Ngo explains. It won't stay that way for long, though, as you'll now fold in the yolks, then stir in the flour. At this point, Ngo says the batter "will still look lumpy," but he cautions "Be careful not to over-mix [at] this step as a runny batter will give you flat ladyfingers."

Spoon the batter into a piping bag with a large (#15) round tip. If you have no piping bag, Ngo also says that "using a Ziploc bag [with the corner snipped off] is a great alternative to using a piping bag." Now, pipe the ladyfingers out onto a silicone mat, or parchment paper-lined baking sheet, ensuring that each one is a couple inches long.

Right before the ladyfingers go in the oven, dust them with the powdered sugar. Bake them for 10 to 12 minutes, then let them cool. Ngo advises storing the cookies in an airtight container for up to a week, but advocates freezing them if you want them to last longer than that.