Ladyfingers or Naples biscuits, in British English sponge fingers, also known by the Italian name () or by the French name (), are low-density, dry, egg-based, sweet sponge cake biscuits roughly shaped like large fingers. They are a principal ingredient in many dessert recipes, such as trifles and charlottes, and are also used as fruit or chocolate gateau linings, and for the sponge element of tiramisu.
Preparation
thumb|250px|Close-up view of a Vicenzovo-brand Italian Savoiardi
Like other sponge cakes, ladyfingers traditionally contain no chemical leavening agent, and rely on air incorporated into the eggs for their "sponge" texture. Some brands, however, contain ammonium bicarbonate. The egg whites and egg yolks mixed with sugar are typically beaten separately and folded together with flour. They contain more flour than the typical sponge cake. The mixture is piped through a pastry bag in short lines onto sheets, (spoon biscuits) or
- In Germany: (spoon biscuits)
- In Greece: (, a French adaptation of the Italian name)
- In Guatemala:
- In Hungary: (baby sponge cake)
- In Indonesia: (cat's tongue biscuits)
- In Iran: latifeh ()
- In Israel: ()
- In Italy:
- In North Macedonia: biskviti ()
- In Mexico: (little soles)
- In Flanders and the Netherlands: (long fingers)
- In Pakistan: bistiks (بسٹیکس)
- In the Philippines: or (Spanish for some more nutritive types of bread, sometimes misspelled as brojas); variants include camachile and lengua de gato
- In Poland: (cats' little tongues) or (sponge cakes/biscuits)
- In Portugal: (champagne biscuits) or
- In Romania:
- In Russia : (lady fingers) or (Cat tongue cookies)
- In Slovakia: (Konditor's biscuits)
- In Slovenia: (baby biscuits)
- In South Africa: sold as boudoir biscuits, but best known as finger biscuits
- In Spain: (little sole biscuits)
- In Sweden: ; (savoiardi biscuits)
- In Taiwan: (finger biscuits)
- In Turkey: (cat's tongue)
- In the United Kingdom: sponge fingers, boudoir biscuits, baby biscuits, funeral biscuits, savoy biscuits, or boudoir fingers, ladyfingers (recent American influence)
- In the United States: ladyfingers, boudoir cookies (occasionally)
- In ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities, especially in US, a version of ladyfingers usually manufactured from a potato starch base is a popular Passover snack, in recent years many companies have taken to labeling them as babyfingers instead of ladyfingers, due to a sentiment popular in that community that views any public mention of ladies as immodest.
- In Uruguay and Venezuela: (insoles)
- In Vietnam: bánh sâm banh, bánh săm pa (could be derived from zabaione, an important ingredient in making ladyfingers)
See also
References
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