SPONGE FINGERS (SAVOIARDI)
Sponge fingers or Savoiardi as known in Italy are light and crisp in texture and perfect for soaking in espresso for tiramisu or use instead of sponge for trifles. They last for weeks if stored in an airtight container and are delicious as a simple biscuit to serve alongside a cuppa.
Really useful to have stored as you can make so many delicious desserts from them.
Makes 24 approx
Ingredients
3 eggs, room temperature
75g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon or orange
95g flour
2 Tbsp cornflour
Pinch salt
50g icing sugar
Method
Preheat the oven 180C, line two baking trays with non stick baking paper.
Separate the eggs putting the whites into a clean bowl of an electric mixer. Keep the yolks in another bowl until later.
Whisk the whites until stiff peaks.
Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is thick and glossy and if you rub a little mix between your fingers you should not feel the grainy sugar.
Add the egg yolks, vanilla and zest. Whisk until combined.
Sift in the flour, cornflour and salt together and fold gently through the mixture. Try to be gentle as these biscuits rely on the air from the sponge mixture to rise.
Using a piping bag with a plain 1.5cm nozzle (or plastic bag with corner cut off). Fill the bag ⅔ full with sponge mixture and pipe the mixture into 10cm lengths (approx) leaving 4cm space between each finger. Continue until the mixture is finished.
Sift half the icing sugar over the fingers and wait for 5 minutes. Don’t worry about the icing sugar dissolving and looking a little damp as this is ok.
After 5 minutes dust the fingers once again with remaining sugar (this is going to create the crust).
Bake for 15 minutes if wanting a more spongy finger.
If you are wanting them dry and crispy, reduce the oven temperature to 100C and dry out for at least an hour or turn the oven off and leave in overnight to dry out.
Cool completely before using. If you want to store them for a long time you will need to dry them out as mentioned above.
