Commonly known as lady fingers, Savoiardi lady fingers are incredibly easy to make and certainly are a great addition to your coffee and or tea spread.
In fact, these finger-licking delicious biscuits are fluffy and soft. The cookies are all you need to make trifles and tiramisu or tiramisu cups. So, if you want to know more about these delicious cookies, we have all the scrumptious details ready for you!
Savoiardi lady fingers is basically a biscuit. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. But here in the U.S, we refer to it as a cookie. It is very well known as Lady Fingers or Boudoirs.
Invented in the 14th Century by chef Amedeo VI of Savoy, hence the name Savoiardi. Made in the honor of Emperor Charles IV of Luxembourg during his visit to the region.
Due to the success of the dessert, the biscuits/cookies were officially adopted by the House of Savoy.
An egg base, crunchy, and spongelike in texture, it is perfect for soaking as it holds its contour well with minimal sogging.
Savoiardi lady fingers can be purchased at any major grocery store. But what is the fun in buying lady fingers when you can make delicious fresh ones.
What Are Savoiardi Cookies?
Savoiardi cookies or Savoiardi lady fingers are made from a variety of delicious ingredients and are known for their addition to the English tea spreads. But most importantly, the ingredienst are likely to be in your refrigerator and cupboards.
These cookies are the sweet sponge-like cake biscuits made with an egg base. They are dry and have a low density.
The cookies have an elongated shape with round edges, which often look like big fingers, hence the reason why they are also known as lady-fingers.
These cookies are widely used as a base for various dessert recipes, including charlottes, trifles, gateau aux fruit linings, and make a great base for tiramisu.
They are great for younger children as they have a soft texture that little ones can easily chew and enjoy. These cookies are soft to eat, but the texture is firm enough not to break down easily.
Due to the Savoiardi’s firmness, they are the perfect cake-like addition to this world famous tiramisu dessert. They are soaked in an expresso mixture for making tiramisu or dunked in teas for consuming as regular biscuits.
What’s So Unique About It?
As the name suggests, you might think that these cookies are made from “human fingers”, but that’s not actually the case.
That’s because they are shaped like fingers and resemble the delicate and beautiful fingers of a woman.
Since the batter is thick like paste, what makes these cookies so unique is that they are given their shape by piping the thick batter on a baking sheet, hence the soft and the fluffy texture.
Topping it all, Savoiardi biscuits / Savoiardi lady fingers are incredibly delicious and are made in every corner of the world. But they do have different names, ranging from lady fingers to sponge cake and more.
Substitution Of Lady Fingers
If you are wondering whether or not there are other similar biscuits out there, than your in luck.
If you are preparing a recipe that requires savoiardi biscuits, you can actually use biscotti, sponge cake, marghetite cookies, pound cake, panettone, and pavesini cookies.
Madeleine, a French version of savoiardi is also a good substitute for charlotte and tiramisu.
The base of all of these biscuits is egg with some slight variation of chocolate or fruits added to them. In our opinion, margherite and madeleine are the closest to lady fingers in terms of recipe replacement.
But the easiest to find at most grocery stores would be the biscotti and of course the pound cake.
More Details…
You must be thinking, “how can cookies be healthy?” but remember, these cookies are made from healthy ingredients to include eggs.
Some of the nutrients that you get from these cookies include, carbohydrates, potassium, protein, vitamin D, vitamin C, dietary fiber, iron, calcium, and magnesium. And of course, most of the nutrients are from the egg batter.
Having said that, these cookies provide an instant boost of energy and are a perfect option for pregnant ladies who need more energy.
Not to forget, they are suitable for teething infants as they can easily munch on them.
Can It Be Made Vegan?
The good news about these cookies is that most of the ingredients in it, with the exception of the eggs, are vegan friendly.
Replacing the eggs with a plant base egg replacement is all you need to make this wonderful recipe vegan. Just make sure to follow the exact measurement equalling 2 eggs.
How To Store These Lady Fingers
To begin with, these cookies can go stale pretty quickly, which is why it’s important to store them in an airtight container to make sure they are ready to eat the next day.
They can also be stored in the freezer for up to a month and still maintain their freshness as long as they remain in an air tight container.
How To Pair These Lady Fingers Biscuits
While they are incredibly delicious on their own, they taste equally delicious with whipped cream. A grat accompaniment with fresh fruits.
In fact, they can be used as a base for a variety of desserts, including trifles, charlottes, and tiramisu.
Savoiardi Ingredients
¾ cup flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs at room temperature (separated)
⅓ cup sugar (can also use powdered sugar)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Extra powdered sugar for sprinkling
To begin, separate the egg yolks from the whites. Use a hand mixture and mix egg yolk, sugar, and vanilla until light. Next beat egg whites until stiff. Fold egg whites into yolks in 2-3 folds.
Sift the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder into a bowl. Add the pinch of salt. Fold in the dry ingredients to mixture until completely combined. Place batter into a pastry bag with a medium tip and make sticks about 2 inches long.
Bake at 400 for 10 minutes until golden. NO MORE THAN 12 minutes. Let it rest for 5 minutes or until cool before serving.
More Sweet Recipes To Try
If you loved these Italian Lady Fingers, try one of these delicious sweets next.
EASY FRENCH MOUSSE AU CHOCOLAT
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Savoiardi Lady Fingers
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- ¾ cup flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 2 large eggs at room temperature separated
- ⅓ cup sugar can also use powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Extra powdered sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- To begin, separate the egg yolks from the whites. Use a hand mixture and mix egg yolk, sugar, and vanilla until light. Next beat egg whites until stiff. Fold egg whites into yolks in 2-3 folds.
- Sift the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder into a bowl. Add the pinch of salt. Fold in the dry ingredients to mixture until completely combined. Place batter into a pastry bag with a medium tip and make sticks about 2 inches long.Bake at 400 for 10 minutes until golden. NO MORE THAN 12 minutes. Let it rest for 5 minutes or until cool before serving.
Liz
I have been searching for a great homemade lady finger recipe for making tiramisu and this was the perfect one! these came out great and everyone raved about my tiramisu thanks to making the lady fingers from scratch!
Mirlene
Thank you, Liz.
Cara
I have always wanted to try making my own lady fingers for tiramisu, but for some reason I thought they would be hard to make. I’m so glad I found your recipe! I already had all the ingredients and they were so easy to make — and worked perfectly in my tiramisu! Thank you!
Mirlene
Thank you, Cara
Katia
I’ve always wanted to make my own lady fingers. These were great!
sara
So glad I found this recipe! I’m totally making these for my next coffee/tea time.
Jill
Reading through this recipe has me craving tiramisu! I’ve had trouble finding lady fingers at my grocery before… now I can make my own. Thanks!
Mirlene
Thank you, Jill
Kechi
I love learning about these cookies today, and I just want to have some with my cup of tea! I appreciate your step-by-step tutorial!
Natalie
Beautiful cookies. I usually get them from the store, but I will give your recipe a try. Looks quite easy.
Helen
I love how quick these are! Such a great classic cookie.
Jen
These are so flakey and just the tiniest bit sweet. Love them!