Lady Fingers Food

LADYFINGERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Line two 17 x 12 inch baking sheets with baking parchment. Fit large pastry bag with a plain 1/2 inch round tube.
• Place egg whites in bowl and beat on high until soft peaks start to form. Slowly add 2 tablespoons of the sugar and continue beating until stiff and glossy. In another bowl beat egg yolks and remaining sugar. Whip until thick and very pale in color.
• Sift flour and baking powder together on a sheet of wax paper. Fold half the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Fold in flour, and then add the remaining egg whites. Transfer mixture to pastry bag and pipe out onto prepared baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes.

LADYFINGERS

Steps:

• Position 2 racks in the middle of the oven; preheat the oven to 325. Generously grease 2 baking sheets with butter (about 2 tablespoons) and dust with flour; tap off the excess flour.
• Measure out the flour and put in a fine-mesh strainer set in a bowl. Beat the egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until thick and pale, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat until just combined. Transfer the egg yolk mixture to a large bowl. Clean out the mixer and dry.
• Put the egg whites and salt in the mixer; beat with the whisk attachment on medium speed, adding the remaining 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoonful at a time, until combined, about 3 minutes. Increase the speed to medium high and continue beating until the egg whites are shiny and stiff, 4 to 6 minutes.
• Add one-third of the egg white mixture to the yolk mixture, then sift about one-third of the flour over the eggs. Gently fold the ingredients together with a rubber spatula. Repeat 2 more times, folding in one-third each of the egg white mixture and flour each time. (Do not overmix or the batter will deflate.) Put the confectioners' sugar in the mesh strainer.
• Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip. Pipe 3-inch ladyfingers onto the prepared baking sheets, about 11/2 inches apart. Dust the ladyfingers with some of the confectioners' sugar to coat and set aside until the sugar starts to dissolve, about 5 minutes. Dust with another coating of confectioners' sugar. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through the cooking time. Remove the ladyfingers with a spatula and transfer to a rack to cool.

BASIC LADYFINGERS

Steps:

• Draw three 8 1/2-inch circles and four rows 3 1/2 inches wide on parchment paper; place on baking trays; set aside. Prepare a large pastry bag with a 1/2-inch tip, and set aside.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the yolks and 11 tablespoons sugar on high speed until mixture is thick and pale, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the flour, and fold in gently; set aside. Using the electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until frothy. While whisking, gradually add the remaining tablespoon sugar; beat until stiff, 1 to 2 minutes. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the reserved yolk mixture to lighten, then fold in the remaining whites until just incorporated.
• Using an offset spatula, spread batter evenly inside the circle guides, making circles 1/4 inch thick. Bake in the oven, rotating trays once, until light golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool. While cake rounds are baking, fill pastry bag with remaining batter, and pipe ladyfingers, 1/2 inch thick, between the lines drawn on the parchment paper. Sprinkle ladyfingers generously with confectioners' sugar, and allow the sugar to soak in, about 3 minutes. Place in the oven, and bake, rotating trays once, until light golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Once cake rounds and ladyfingers are cool, remove from parchment paper.

LADY FINGERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Line two baking sheets with parchment or wax paper.
• Beat the yolks and 1/2 cup sugar on high for 5 minutes until ribbons fall from beater.
• Lower speed and beat in vanilla and water.
• Increase speed and beat for 30 seconds to thicken.
• Sift the flour over this and set aside, without mixing.
• In another bowl, beat egg whites until foamy, then add cream of tartar.
• Beat until soft peaks form.
• Gradually beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar.
• Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
• Add 1/3 of the whites to the yolk bowl and fold until all the flour is incorporated.
• Gently fold in remaining whites.
• Working quickly to avoid deflation, scoop 4 cups into a large pastry bag with a 3/4 tip.
• Pipe 3 inch by 1 1/2 inch'fingers' 1/4 inch apart.
• They will attach during baking.
• Be sure and let the batter fall from the tip, rather than pressing onto the sheet.
• If you are making a bottom for a cheesecake, pipe a spiral, ending at about 10 inches in diameter.
• Sift the powdered sugar over- the batter will absorb some.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until springy to the touch.
• Remove to racks and cool slightly.
• Remove from parchment with long spatula while still warm.
• Or invert disc onto towel-covered rack and reinvert back to plain rack.