A convection of ladyfingers at home and you don’t know what to do with them? Here are the best recipes with ladyfingers that are not the classic tiramisu!
What are ladyfingers?
THE savoiardi biscuits they are long and crumbly biscuits that we usually associate with one of the most famous Italian desserts in the world, tiramisu. Of course, for this preparation some prefer to use pavesini, but these soft pleasures maintain their consistency for longer. And then their story is elegant and fascinating. In fact, it is said that these biscuits were invented at the court of Amedeo VI, Count of Savoy (1334 – 1383) to honor his guests, the royals of France, with a special dessert. It was a success and became one of the official recipes of the House of Savoy, spread throughout the Kingdom with different interpretations such as the Sardinian variant.
The recipe for these biscuits is very simple and the secret to their lightness is the egg whites whipped with sugar, which makes them frothy and perfect for dipping. If you have purchased them or prepared them to bring a delicious tiramisu to the table, know that you can also enjoy them in caffe latte or in a cup of tea or use them to make many other desserts.
It is, in fact, a versatile ingredient, which can be used to prepare different types of desserts, from the most classic ones to the most creative and original desserts. Don’t you believe it? Let’s discover the 12 best ones recipes with ladyfingersin addition to tiramisu.
Sponge cake and custard
This delicious preparation is reminiscent in some ways of tiramisu but its color is unmistakable thanks to the presence of alchermes. Its exact origin is not known, some speak of Emilia-Romagna, others follow the Tuscan trail. What is certain is that the sponge cake and custard it was Federico Fellini’s favorite dessert. It can also be prepared with sponge cake, but we naturally recommend ladyfingers.
Portuguese cake
Also called Benevento tart, it is a typical Campania dessert with a soft and irresistible filling, thanks also to the presence of Piedmontese biscuits. These are soaked in a cream flavored with Strega liqueur and become the filling for a crunchy disc of shortcrust pastry. There Portuguese cake it’s perfect for every occasion and, if you haven’t tried it yet, the time has come to get your hands dirty right away.
Recipes with ladyfingers: semifreddo
This spoon dessert, traditional in Italian cuisine, is prepared with few ingredients and can be adapted according to tastes, but even seasonal fruit. It has a soft, creamy consistency but you can make everything more delicious creating a base of ladyfingers, as in our strawberry and mascarpone semifreddo recipe. You can then change fruit according to the season or replace it with chocolate or Nutella.
Charlotte
This refined French cake seems to have been born as a tribute to Queen Charlotte Sophia of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1744 – 1818), wife of George III. There charlotte cake it would be a variant of English bread pudding in which the outer shell can be made with ladyfingers. The interior could instead be made up of a mousse or a chocolate Bavarois, a Chantilly cream with strawberries or berries, mascarpone or custard.
Ladyfinger muffins
Muffins can also be prepared with ladyfingers: one variant involves the addition of crumbled biscuits to the dough, to make the consistency of the desserts more interesting. This is how the Ladyfinger muffins to which you can add chocolate chips, fruit, jam or spices. Alternatively, you can create a crunchy surface by sprinkling the “dome” with biscuit crumbs.
Chocolate salami
This elongated dessert makes us feel like children again. Its origins are not known, but it is a tradition in every Italian region with some small variations. However, the base remains the same: dry biscuits, butter and chocolate. And ladyfingers are perfect allies in this recipe, thanks to their friability: so crumble them, mix them with the other ingredients and leave to harden in the refrigerator before serving.
zuccotto
This typically Florentine recipe could be one of the first semifreddos in history. It seems that its history began in the 16th century and the name took up that of the skullcap, the cap of high prelates with the characteristic dome shape. Usually the external casing is made of soft sponge cake, but it can be replaced with Piedmontese biscuits, especially when it comes to the sweet tooth Zuccotto tiramisu.
Cheese of the Duchess
Zuccotto can therefore be a variant of the classic tiramisu, as can this other dessert. The cheese of the Duchess However, it is not originally from Florence, but from Parma and has a quadrangular shape. It is always a semifreddo and, traditionally, the external part is made up of ladyfingers soaked in coffee or rum. Among the recipes with ladyfingers, one of the most delicious.
Cake with fruit
If our soft biscuits can act as a “shell” for a zuccotto or a duchess stracchino, they can do so for any other cake. Then wet the biscuits in milk and line a springform mold both at the base and on the sides. There cake with ladyfingers and fruit It doesn’t need cooking, it’s simple and decidedly scenic. With a filling of Chantilly cream and seasonal fruit, it will make you look good with little effort.
Biscuit sandwich
It only takes a few minutes to prepare this recipe, which we could offer to children as a snack or as a quick dessert with coffee. Also in this case there is no need for cooking and you can choose a different filling depending on your taste or what you have at home: chocolate cream, ice cream, jam, custard and fresh seasonal fruit. The only flaw: one sandwich will lead to another and this will become your favorite among the recipes with ladyfingers.
Chocolate truffles
Other tasty sweets to enjoy at the end of the meal with coffee, quick and easy to prepare but always loved by everyone. Then chop the biscuits and mix them with dark or milk chocolate. Create balls and roll them in chopped hazelnuts, coconut flakes, sprinkles or bitter cocoa to your liking. You can even create a soft Nutella heart if you are particularly greedy, you won’t be disappointed.
Base for tart or cheesecake
Finally, ladyfingers can also be used to create biscuits tart and cheesecake bases. Simply crumble the biscuits and mix them with melted butter, to create a practical and quick alternative to classic shortcrust pastry.
Recipes with ladyfingers: in addition to tiramisu, there is more
As we have seen, There are so many recipes with ladyfingers that we can prepare. These soft and light biscuits are the perfect base for a classic like tiramisu, but that doesn’t mean we can’t also use them for creations.
It doesn’t matter which recipe you choose: the ladyfingers will add a touch of sweetness and consistency that will make the dessert even more special and tasty, they will be the starting point of a rich culinary journey that you will never get bored of.