Lady Fingers

Total Time: 30 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• 6 large eggs, separated
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
• 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 cup powdered sugar, for dusting

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 400 degrees f.
• 2 line two baking sheets with parchment or wax paper.
• 3 beat the yolks and 1/2 cup sugar on high for 5 minutes until ribbons fall from beater.
• 4 lower speed and beat in vanilla and water.
• 5 increase speed and beat for 30 seconds to thicken.
• 6 sift the flour over this and set aside, without mixing.
• 7 in another bowl, beat egg whites until foamy, then add cream of tartar.
• 8 beat until soft peaks form.
• 9 gradually beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar.
• 10 continue beating until stiff peaks form.
• 11 add 1/3 of the whites to the yolk bowl and fold until all the flour is incorporated.
• 12 gently fold in remaining whites.
• 13 working quickly to avoid deflation, scoop 4 cups into a large pastry bag with a 3/4 tip.
• 14 pipe 3 inch by 1 1/2 inch'fingers' 1/4 inch apart.
• 15 they will attach during baking.
• 16 be sure and let the batter fall from the tip, rather than pressing the sheet.
• 17 if you are making a bottom for a cheesecake, pipe a spiral, ending at about 10 inches in diameter.
• 18 sift the powdered sugar over- the batter will absorb some.
• 19 bake for 8 to 10 minutes until springy to the touch.
• 20 remove to racks and cool slightly.
• 21 remove from parchment with long spatula while still warm.
• 22 or invert disc towel-covered rack and reinvert back to plain rack.