Chocolate Fingers Recipes

LADYFINGERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Line two 17 x 12 inch baking sheets with baking parchment. Fit large pastry bag with a plain 1/2 inch round tube.
• Place egg whites in bowl and beat on high until soft peaks start to form. Slowly add 2 tablespoons of the sugar and continue beating until stiff and glossy. In another bowl beat egg yolks and remaining sugar. Whip until thick and very pale in color.
• Sift flour and baking powder together on a sheet of wax paper. Fold half the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Fold in flour, and then add the remaining egg whites. Transfer mixture to pastry bag and pipe out onto prepared baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes.

CHOCOLATE LADYFINGERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Sift the cake flour and cocoa powder together in a small mixing bowl and set aside. Place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl and whip until foamy with an electric mixer set on medium speed. Make a French meringue by adding the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. When you whip egg whites, add the sugar slowly to allow the whites to gain some volume. When you have volume, add the rest of the sugar. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and whip to stiff but not dry peaks, about 5 minutes. When the whites are slightly stiff, reduce the mixer speed to low to allow even more air to be incorporated without over whipping the egg whites. Let the egg whites continue to whip for about another 2 minutes. Stop whipping them if they begin to look dry or separated.
• Very gently, fold the egg yolks into the whipped egg whites with a rubber spatula until they are partially incorporated. Carefully fold the sifted mixture into the egg mixture. It is important to fold as gently as possible to avoid deflating the batter. Remember to fold all the way to the bottom of the bowl to fully incorporate both mixtures.
• Place the batter in a pastry bag fitted with a 3/4-inch plain tip. To pipe the ladyfingers, hold the pastry bag at a slight angle and allow the tip to touch the parchment paper as you start to pipe. Squeeze gently, applying even pressure as you pipe the desired length, then stop squeezing and lift the tip straight up, leaving a small tail on the end of each ladyfinger. Pipe evenly shaped ladyfingers about 3/4-inch wide on a parchment paper-covered sheet pan. Space them about 1/2-inch apart to allow them room to spread as they bake. Dust the tops of the ladyfingers with powdered sugar to give them a nice crust.
• Bake the ladyfingers until light and evenly browned, about 5 minutes. (The browning may be difficult to discern with the chocolate ladyfingers.) Remove from the oven and immediately move to a wire rack to prevent the heat of the pan from continuing to bake the ladyfingers. Set aside until ready to use. When cooled, the ladyfingers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the freezer, well wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 2 weeks.

CHOCOLATE FINGERS, THE BAR TO BEAT ALL BARS! (NO BAKE)

Steps:

• Line a 20 x 31 cm (8 x 12 inch) container with plastic clingfilm.
• Melt the butter over a very low heat completely in a saucepan, then add the condensed milk and keep mixing until the butter "disappears', i.e.) there is no yellow showing in the mixture.
• Combine condensed milk mixture with all the dry ingredients of the chocolate fingers part of the recipe and mix well.
• Press mixture into a 20 x 31 cm (8 x 12 inch) container.
• Ice with chocolate icing.
• Refrigerate until firm.
• Once firm, make a central cut to cut the slice in half and then gently use the clingfilm to ease the slice out of the pan and cut it into fingers or squares on a cutting board.
• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

CHOCOLATEY PEANUT BUTTER FINGERS

Steps:

• HEAT oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13 x 9-inch glass baking pan with a no-stick cooking spray.
• COMBINE shortening, sugar, brown sugar, egg and water in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed, until well blended. Beat in 1/3 cup peanut butter and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, oats, baking soda and salt. Add gradually to creamed mixture at low speed. Beat until well blended. Spread into prepared baking pan.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until light brown and center is just set. Do not over-bake. Immediately sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let stand 5 minutes or until chips become shiny and soft. Spread to cover evenly. Cool slightly. Cut into bars, about 2 x 1 3/4-inches. Cool completely.
• COMBINE powdered sugar, peanut butter and evaporated milk in small bowl, mixing until smooth. Drizzle over chocolate. Sprinkle with toffee bits, if desired.

CHOCOLATE-GLAZED SHORTBREAD FINGERS

Steps:

• Preparebasic shortbread. Form dough into a disk; wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or overnight). Roll out to a 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into 1-by-3-inch rectangles; refrigerate for 20 minutes. Bake on a cookie sheet until firm and just starting to color, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Make glaze: Coarsely chop semisweet chocolate; melt in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pan of hot but not boiling water, stirring with a wooden spoon. Stir in safflower oil (for gloss). Remove from heat, and let cool 10 minutes. Dip 1/3 of each cookie into chocolate glaze, and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate until glaze is set, about 10 minutes. Cookies can be stored, in single layers between waxed or parchment paper, in airtight containers at room temperature for 1 week.