Sponge fingers

This traditional biscuit recipe makes excellent charlottes and great tiramisu!

 

Makes15 biscuits: 2 medium eggs,separated 65g sieved icing sugar 50g sieved flour a piping bag  1 baking sheet 30cm×40cm   30g icing sugar for dusting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• Beat the egg yolks with 40 gr of sugar until pale and light.
• Whisk the egg whites until stiff, adding the remaining sugar bit by .bit. 
  Take the preparation(1), and incorporate half white and half flour, and finally the remaining whites, and the rest of flour. 
  Carefully mix with a cutting motion to avoid the egg whites peaks falling.  The mixture should be very light and airy.
  
  
• Cover the baking sheet with baking parchment.  Put the mix into the piping bag and pipe it onto the baking parchment forming small fingers of about 10 cms.  Carefully form another layer on top of the first layer without in a continuous movement.  (see photo). This step is very delicate.
  
• Sprinkle icing sugar over the top of each finger. 
  
• Bake at 160° for 15 à 20 minutes. If necessary, extend the baking at a lower temperature, 150°  for 5 to 10 minutes to dry them out.  They should not brown at all . 
  
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool, then peel them off the baking parchment.  They should keep for 2 weeks in a tin.    

 

 Note: Using this mixture, you can make a quick baba.  Simply add a pinch of bicarbonate of soda to the flour or 3g  of dried yeast.  Pour the mixture into a baba mould and bake for 10 minutes at 175°, then 10 minutes at 165°.

You can also make a mix for a Swiss roll.  Simply replace the icing sugar with caster sugar, spread the mixture onto the baking sheet and cook for 12 minutes à 165°. This can be made in advance as it stays soft if you roll it in baking parchment after cooking.