Gluten-free Italian Savoiardi (aka ladyfingers)
Elevate your tiramisu game with fresh, homemade biscuits
Gluten-Free ladyfingers are a quick and easy recipe for baking homemade biscuits in less than half an hour, including the oven time. Fragrant and very light, Ladyfingers are prepared only with eggs, sugar, rice flour and starch, which come together to create a frothy mixture which will rise slightly in the oven, giving them an irresistible consistency. These biscuits are typically made with eggs, sugar, and flour, without any leavening agents, relying solely on whipped egg whites for their airy texture. The secret for a slightly crisp crust is dusting them with powdered sugar just before baking.
Ladyfingers are perfect biscuits to dip in, to eat with custard cream or, I know what you are thinking, to use to prepare one of the best Italian dessert: TIRAMISU. Even if today this dessert is made with a lot of different cookies or thin layers of sponge cake, I still think the original version with these ladyfingers (SAVOIARDI in Italian) biscuits is the best. But they can also be used in trifles and Charlotte kind of dessert.
Ingredients for 20 ladyfingers:
2 medium eggs
6 tbsp white rice flour (58 g)
2,5 tbsp potato starch (25 g)
¼ cup white sugar (50 g)
2 tbsp white sugar (25 g)
4 drops lemon juice
lemon zest (optional)
icing sugar
Step by step:
Preheat your oven to 355°F (180°C).
Begin by whisking the egg whites until they form stiff peaks, adding four drops of lemon juice right from the start. As soon as a foamy texture appears, gradually incorporate the first ¼ cup of sugar, one spoonful at a time. Continue beating at high speed until the mixture becomes glossy and firm, resembling meringue. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until the mixture becomes pale, smooth, and as airy as possible.
Carefully fold the beaten egg whites into the yolk mixture, adding them in small portions and using gentle, upward motions to maintain the airy texture.
In another bowl, combine the flour and starch, then gradually sift them into the batter, one teaspoon at a time, stirring gently. The batter should have a light and fluffy consistency. At this stage, you can mix in some lemon zest or vanilla beans for extra flavor, though this step is optional.
Transfer the batter into a piping bag and pipe the biscuits onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If precision isn’t necessary, such as when making them for tiramisu, you can simply spoon the batter onto the sheet. Dust the biscuits generously with powdered sugar, wait a few minutes, then sprinkle again, followed by a light layer of granulated sugar.
Bake in the center of the oven for about 15 minutes or until they turn golden brown. Let them cool completely before carefully lifting them off the parchment paper with a sharp spatula, as they may stick slightly—this is normal.
Beautiful