Ladyfingers

Ladyfingers sound fancy to me. I had heard of them a time or two before I started making Tyler's tiramisu but had never tried one. Even after using the store bought variety for tiramisu, I still had never eaten one by itself. I thought I should change that.

Ladyfingers
from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child

1 Tb butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, in a shaker or sieve
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 egg whites
pinch of salt
1 Tb granulated sugar
1/2 cup flour (plus more for dusting)

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees
2. Prepare baking sheets: butter lightly, dust with flour and knock off excess flour.
   
3. Gradually beat the sugar into the egg yolks, add the vanilla and continue beating for several minutes until the mixture is thick, pale yellow and forms ribbons when the beaters are removed.
4. Beat the egg whites and salt together in a separate bowl until soft peaks are formed. Sprinkle on the sugar and beat until stiff peaks are formed.
5. Scoop 1/4 of the egg whites over the top of the egg yolk mixture. Sift 1/4 of the flour and delicately fold in until partially blended. Repeat 3 more times until all is combined and partially blended. Do not attempt to blend the mixture too thoroughly or you will deflate the batter.
6. Scoop batter into a pastry bag and squeeze out even lines onto the prepared baking sheets, making finger shapes 4 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide, spaced 1 inch apart. Sprinkle with 1/16-inch layer of powdered sugar.
7. Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes. They should be pale brown under the sugar layer and slightly crusty on the outside. They should be tender but dry on the inside. As soon as they are done, remove from baking sheets with a spatula and cool on wire racks.

Makes 24 to 30 cookies.The final product: light and airy. These look nothing like the foamy things I bought at the store. They are crispy on the outside but still tender on the inside with just a touch of sweetness. These are great dunked in coffee or tea and would be even better sandwiched together with jam or some sort of butter cream.
FYI: They are really great in tiramisu too as they hold their shape slightly better than the store bought variety. This recipe makes just about the perfect amount for one recipe of tiramisu. Break out the pastry bags and give it a try for yourself. It's worth the effort!