Ingredients

• 4 large eggs room temperature
• 113 g castor sugar
• 140 g cake flour
• ½ tbsp vanilla essence
• Pinch of salt
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Preparations

step 1

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and then set aside.

step 2

Separate the eggs and place the whites of 4 of them into a squeaky clean bowl of a stand mixer, ( or an electric hand mixer) fitted with a squeaky clean whisk attachment.

step 3

Any grease around the bowl or on the whisk will prevent your egg whites from becoming light and fluffy

step 4

Put the yolks of 3 eggs in a large bowl.

step 1

Add half the quantity of sugar and whisk by hand or using a hand mixer until they are light, pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla Essence

step 5

Now whisk the eggs whites on a medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.

step 6

Gradually add the remaining sugar while still whisking and the egg whites are nice and stiff

step 7

Using a large metal spoon, gently fold the eggs whites into the egg yolk mixture using a cutting motion

step 8

Be very gently here, so as not to knock out the air already incorporated from the whisking.

step 9

Sift the flour and salt over the egg mixture from a height and fold it in using the metal spoon and cutting action.

step 10

Again gently does it until all the flour is incorporated.

step 11

Get a large piping bag fitted with a ½” plain tube (or just use the piping bag without a tube, cutting off the end to produce about a ½” opening)) and fill it with the sponge mix.

step 12

Pipe 3 ½” lines and place them 1 inch to give them room to spread while baking.

step 13

When piping the biscuits, put more pressure on squeezing the sponge mix out of the bag than pressing the end of the bag onto the tray. You are trying to achieve bulbous biscuits rather than flat,

step 14

Dust icing sugar on the fingers and let the sugar soak in for 5 minutes then dust again.

step 15

This will give the fingers their crusty coat once baked

step 1

Bake for 13-15 minutes or until lightly golden brown around the edges.

step 16

Let them cool on the tray to firm up before removing.

step 17

The ladyfingers will keep for about 3 days in an airtight container.