Savoyardi cookies (lady fingers). Lady finger cookies Lady finger cookies

Originally an Italian delicacy, Savoiardi biscuits are now extremely popular throughout the world. Delicate, soft, fluffy and fragrant elongated cookies, covered with the finest sugar crust, can hardly help but please. And the famous dessert Tiramisu is completely impossible to imagine without Savoyardi, the recipe for which I will share today.

Undoubtedly, Savoyardi cookies can be bought in a store, but in our city, for example, I saw them on sale only once and at an incredible price. That is why I suggest preparing this delicious pastry at home, especially since the recipe for Savoyardi cookies is simple, and the products in its composition are simple and accessible to everyone.

From the specified amount of ingredients I get 28 long (from Italian savoiardi - “savoy”, also “lady fingers”) standard size cookies. This amount is quite enough to make a homemade dessert Tiramisu (there will be some left over) or to decorate a cake with them (place the sides on the sides). And just with a cup of tea, lady fingers cookies are an amazing treat, tender, tasty and aromatic.

Ingredients:

Cooking the dish step by step with photos:

To prepare Savoyardi biscuits (Lady fingers), we will need fresh medium-sized chicken eggs (about 50 grams each), premium wheat flour, granulated sugar and powdered sugar. In particular, let's take 4 whites and 3 yolks (you can use the unused yolk to make homemade mayonnaise). Instead of powdered sugar, you can use granulated sugar for sprinkling, but I prefer it with powder.

So, immediately turn on the oven to warm up at 180-185 degrees, since the biscuit dough is made very quickly. Wash the chicken eggs and wipe dry. Then carefully separate the whites from the yolks (don’t forget, 1 yolk is not needed in this recipe) and put them in different bowls. In fact, the sequence of beating is not so important: you can first beat the whites well, and then work on the yolks. Or vice versa. I first beat the egg whites (4 pieces) with 25 grams of granulated sugar. At the first stage, beat the whites with a mixer at medium speed. When an airy foam appears, gradually add sugar and continue beating at maximum speed until a snow-white dense mass is formed.

Well-beaten whites hold their shape perfectly - you can literally cut them with a knife. For now, let's leave the bowl aside and move on to the yolks.

In another bowl we have 3 raw egg yolks, to which we add 50 grams of granulated sugar. You can also use powder, if you don’t mind.

Now add half (about 45 grams) of pre-sifted premium wheat flour to the yolk mass. Start mixing with a spatula or tablespoon so that there are no flour lumps left.

At the end you need to add the remaining 2/3 of the beaten egg whites. Do not under any circumstances neglect the method of folding mixing with a spatula or spoon, as the mixer will completely release all the air from the dough and the cookies will not turn out - they will be flat (they will spread all over the baking sheet into one huge cake).

It is best to pipe the Savoyardi (Lady fingers) cookies using a piping bag with a round tip. If you don't have one, use a new plastic bag, cutting off one end with scissors to about 8-9 millimeters in diameter. Transfer the dough into the bag so that there are no empty spaces inside.

The peculiarity of the cookies is that they contain neither soda, baking powder, nor yeast. This is a light and airy sponge cake.

How to cook:

Carefully separate the whites and yolks and place them in separate containers.
Beat the whites with 60 gr. granulated sugar to form a dense, airy white mass.
Then beat the yolks with 60 gr. sugar until a homogeneous whitish foam forms.
Pour the yolks into the whites in small portions and mix.
Slowly add the sifted flour while stirring.
Line a baking tray with pastry paper and grease with oil, carefully squeeze 11-14 cm long molds out of the bag.
Sprinkle powdered sugar on the strips and place the baking sheet in an oven preheated to 190⁰C for 13-16 minutes.

Stir the mixture only from bottom to top; circular movements will cause the dough to fall and not be airy.

Lady fingers cookies with milk

Required ingredients:

Wheat flour – 190 gr.
Eggs – 4 pcs.
Milk – 120 gr.
Granulated sugar – 100 gr.
Butter – 80 gr.
Baking powder – 2 gr.
Vanillin – 4 gr.
Salt – 2 gr.

How to cook:

Separate the yolks and whites and place them in different containers.
Beat the yolks with 50 gr. granulated sugar until a homogeneous foam with a white coating forms.
Beat egg whites with 50 gr. sugar until a homogeneous airy dense mass is formed.
Carefully add the yolks to the whites, mix from bottom to top.
Slowly pour milk into the mixture, add vanillin and salt, stir from bottom to top.
Add flour in small portions, mix thoroughly to form a soft dough.
Place the pastry in a pastry bag, syringe or bag with the tip cut off.
Place pastry paper on a baking sheet and grease it with butter.
Squeeze out 11-14 cm strips. Place the baking sheet in an oven preheated to 190⁰C. Bake for 12-16 minutes. until a soft creamy crust forms.

Cookies do not lose freshness for a long time, just store them in a tightly closed container.

Looking at the photo of the “Lady Fingers” cookies, I immediately want to make them, how delicious they look. Ideal baked goods for family tea parties.

Anyone who has tried this pastry will never forget it: small bagels with jam inside are so light in taste that you can eat a whole half a kilo without even noticing that there are seeds or nuts. This article provides several simple recipes with photos of fingers with jam for fans of this delicious delicacy.

Fingers: is it a cookie or a croissant?

This pastry is called “fingers” in many recipes. With jam, cottage cheese, nuts or marmalade, these little sweet delicacies have won the hearts of all sweet tooths with their modest simplicity, but attractive taste. The fingers look like small croissants, but are no larger than the index finger of the hand, which is why they are called that.

Some scrupulous cooks zealously separate them from other confectionery products and are very indignant when yeast bagels with jam and puff pastry croissants are also called fingers. Indeed, all these dough products have the same shape, but in fact, the original “Finger with Jam” cookies are made from shortcrust pastry without eggs based on sour cream (not even kefir, as many believe).

Classic shortcrust pastry recipe

The recipe for fingers with jam, which is available to all novice confectioners, is, of course, made from shortcrust pastry. Moreover, this particular type of cookie is considered the main one, and the remaining modifications from other types of dough are already variations on the theme of bored masters. To prepare this delicate pastry, we will buy the following ingredients:

0.5 kg of quality margarine;
0.5 liters of sour cream;
600-650 grams of wheat flour;
0.5 teaspoon of soda, quenched with vinegar;
jam for filling;
powdered sugar for sprinkling the finished product.

As you can see from the ingredients, the recipe for fingers with jam is quite simple and does not require any special “secret” ingredients, but despite its apparent simplicity, the finished cookies are so tasty that you can eat a lot and not even notice.

Preparing the dough is very simple: margarine is grated, so ten minutes before cooking it is better to put it in the freezer - it will freeze and be grated easily. Sift the flour twice, mix with soda and margarine, rubbing the mixture with your hands until it becomes crumbs. This is the traditional procedure for making shortcrust pastry. Next, when the mixture becomes relatively homogeneous, add sour cream and knead the dough. It should be plastic, but not sticky to the table or hands, and if there is not enough flour, you can add a little to the required consistency. Try not to knead for a long time, because shortbread dough categorically does not like it: it gets clogged and the finished products become dense and tight. Therefore, in a matter of minutes, we collect the dough into a ball, wrap it in cling film and put it in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Yeast recipe

The recipe for fingers with jam from yeast dough is in many ways similar to preparing filled buns, the difference is mainly in the shaping of the product. List of required products:

2 eggs;
2 cups yogurt or kefir, you can also use fermented baked milk;
60 grams of margarine, which can be replaced with butter if desired;
4 tbsp. spoons of granulated sugar;
1 small packet of dry yeast, usually 12 grams;
5 cups wheat flour;
a pinch of salt, vanilla, jam for filling.

The dough is prepared using the classic sponge method: heat the yogurt a little (body temperature) and dissolve a spoonful of sugar and yeast in it, let the mixture stand for ten minutes. The mass will actively foam - this is an indication that the yeast has activated and the fermentation process has begun. Separately mix the eggs with the remaining sugar, add melted margarine and vanilla. This mass is added to the dough and thoroughly mixed with it to a uniform consistency. Next, gradually add the sifted flour, gradually kneading the dough. The amount of flour in the recipe is indicated approximately, and if a lump of dough begins to form with less amount, then there is no need to mix in the rest - the baked goods will turn out airy if little flour is used.

Knead the dough thoroughly with your hands in different directions, forming a smooth and elastic lump, then place it in a clean bowl and cover with a towel. Place the dough in a warm place and let it rise for an hour or an hour and a half: it should at least double in volume. Next, mix it on the table and form cookies.

Another version of the finger test

There is another recipe for fingers with jam made from shortcrust pastry, but the products made from it are fluffier and more like bagels. To prepare we take:

2 eggs;
200 grams of good quality butter or margarine;
1 glass of curdled milk;
1/3 teaspoon of baking soda, quenched with vinegar;
600-650 grams of wheat flour;
vanillin;
jam for filling, powdered sugar for sprinkling the finished product.

Soften the butter in a warm place and grind with flour until it becomes a mealy, fatty crumb, separately mix the curdled milk, vanilla and eggs, beat lightly with a whisk. Pour the mixture into the buttery crumbs, add soda and knead the dough.

If the dough sticks too much to the table, then you should add a little more flour, because gluten varies, so the amount in the recipe is always approximate. Let the dough rest for about ten minutes and then you can begin shaping the products.

Which jam is better to use?

To prepare the fingers, you should use thick jam, since during the baking process it heats up and becomes more liquid. If the product is not initially thick enough, the products will float and the jam itself will burn, making the baked goods unattractive in appearance. Moreover, it is the thick jam that helps the finger maintain an even and beautiful shape, so you should be careful when choosing a product. Apple and pear jam, as well as plums, go very well with shortbread dough. For yeast dough fingers, you can take more delicate varieties: strawberries or raspberries, and you can also use confiture from any fruit or berry.

How to form a product correctly?

To form fingers with jam according to the recipe, or rather, according to tradition, you need to roll out the dough into a layer no more than 3-4 mm thick, cut circles with a small saucer and cut each circle into eight sectors with a knife.

Place a little jam on the edge of each segment with a teaspoon and roll it into a roll: from the wide edge to the narrow. They should not be too thick or with too many turns: three or four turns of a piece of dough is quite enough, and too thick ones will not bake inside.

Bakery

If you used a recipe for fingers with jam on dry yeast, then after molding, place the product on a baking sheet and let the dough rise for 10-15 minutes. Next, brush the tops of the fingers with beaten egg and bake the bagels in the oven at 200 degrees until bright golden brown for no more than twenty minutes. Sprinkle the finished and still warm baked goods with powdered sugar, to which you can add a little cinnamon or vanilla for flavor.

If you used a recipe for fingers with jam without yeast, then proofing is not needed - the baking sheet with the products is immediately sent to the oven. There is also no need to grease the shortcrust pastry fingers with egg; once baked and still warm, sprinkle them generously with powdered sugar.

From puff pastry

You can also make “Fingers with Jam” cookies using a recipe from puff pastry, which can be bought at any supermarket. Of course, experienced craftswomen can prepare the dough at home according to their own signature recipe, but not everyone is capable of such culinary feats, so it is better to take the path of least resistance and take ready-made dough. Pre-defrost, and then roll out the layer and cut the dough into strips no more than ten centimeters wide. We cut each strip into small elongated triangles, place jam on the wide edge and roll it into a bagel. Place them on a baking sheet and sprinkle generously with cold water, this will make the puff pastry even more fluffy and loose. Bake at 220 degrees until cooked and while still hot, sprinkle with powdered sugar on all sides.

Such a product is often called croissants, and this is true, because croissant is a French name, which implies an ordinary bun with filling, the only difference is in the size of the finished product: a finger with jam is small, and a croissant is three times larger.

Calorie content

The energy value of baked goods of this kind depends on the dough from which they were prepared:

The calorie content of fingers with jam according to the yeast recipe is 290 kcal per 100 grams.
Shortcrust pastry fingers - 410 calories.
Kefir bagels have a calorie content of 280 kcal per one hundred gram serving.
Puff pastry fingers - 295 calories.

From this list it becomes clear that shortcrust pastry fingers are the most high-calorie, although the most delicious of all. To reduce the calorie content of the product, you don’t have to sprinkle it with powdered sugar, but this will reduce the taste, because there is practically no sugar in the dough itself.

In any case, you should definitely prepare jam fingers for your loved ones, because there is nothing better than aromatic pastries with a cup of hot tea or cocoa on a cold winter day.

In addition to being a wonderful and very tasty dessert in its own right, “Lady Fingers” cookies also serve as a decoration and base for desserts and cakes. The most famous of them are Tiramisu and Charlotte. On the site you can also see an example where they became a decoration.

To add some flavor, you can add rose water, vanilla essence, lemon or orange zest to your cookies.

Ingredients for 24 pcs:

5 eggs
150 g granulated sugar
125 g flour
powdered sugar for sprinkling

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Separate the eggs into whites and yolks.

From the total amount of granulated sugar, set aside 1.5 tbsp. l.

Beat the whites until soft foam, gradually add 1.5 tbsp. l. deferred sugar. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.

Place the finished whites in a deep bowl and put them in the refrigerator until ready to use.

In the same bowl in which the egg whites were previously beaten, add the yolks and sugar. Beat for about 5 minutes with a mixer on high speed or until the mixture has lightened in color and becomes fluffier and lighter.

Sift the flour on top and mix gently.

Add 1/3 of the whites, mix, lightening the dough. Then half the protein mass and mix gently, from bottom to top, so that the dough remains light and airy. Then fold in the remaining whipped whites.

Place the dough into a piping bag fitted with a flat, round tip 2cm in diameter.

Place 24 oblong cookies, 9 cm long, onto the prepared baking sheets.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and let stand for 10 minutes.

Then sprinkle again and place in a preheated oven for 18 minutes. Bake one tray at a time.

To remove cookies from parchment: Unfold the piece of paper in the direction the cookies are facing. With one hand, carefully pull the paper with cookies over the side of the sheet, and with the other hand, lightly pull the paper, grabbing the opposite end. Thus, the cookies themselves move away from the paper, remaining intact and unharmed.

Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Storage: in a tightly closed container for up to 2 weeks.

Enjoy your tea!

These cookies need to be prepared very quickly, so let's get started. First of all, separate the whites from the yolks. Place the whites in the refrigerator.

Beat well with a mixer. The mass should lighten and increase slightly in volume.

We take out the whites and begin to beat them with CLEAN and DRY mixer whisks. First, beat at low speed, then add the remaining powdered sugar. Beat until dense, stable peaks form.

Gently add the whites to the yolks in two steps: first add one part and mix, then add the second part and carefully mix again.

Take a pastry bag (I put it on the jar, this will make it easier to fill it).

We place our “fingers” on the parchment. I cooked them for the first time, so they don’t quite look like “fingers”, but don’t worry - this won’t affect the taste in any way. This amount of dough makes about 25 cookies.

Sprinkle them with powdered sugar twice (thanks to this sprinkling, the savoiardi cookies will have a crispy crust). Place in a preheated oven and bake at 180 degrees for about 10-15 minutes. VERY IMPORTANT! This dough cannot stand because it is sponge dough.

This is such a tasty treat we got! And another advantage of “Lady Fingers” cookies is that they are not as high in calories as classic cookies, because there are no fats and a large amount of flour. I advise you to brew a cup of delicious coffee and dip these cookies, they taste like the famous dessert “Tiramisu”.