Keto Sugar Free Savoiardi - Lady Finger Biscuits

KETO SUGAR FREE SAVOIARDI – LADY FINGER BISCUITS

Keto Sugar Free Savoiardi – Lady Finger Biscuits: 1.3g carbs each.

So you’ve never heard of Savoiardi biscuits. I bet you’ve tasted them though. Savoiardi biscuits are gorgeous, dainty, light and crispy ‘fingers’ that soak up warm liquid almost immediately. Outside the professional kitchen, you’ll find that they’re ubiquitous in trifle, tiramisú and any other dessert where layers are involved.



They’re known as lady fingers or sponge fingers in many Countries. The French call them boudoirs. They are extremely popular in Italy, which is where they were first created. The claim is that they were made at the Italian Duchy of Savoy Palace, to celebrate a state visit by the King of France, at some point in time between the XI and XV centuries (?!). But there’s no way to verify any of that. And Italians have always had a fondness for theatrics… What is certain, however, is that pastry chefs in Italy have been making these biscuits for centuries, using them in myriad dessert recipes.

Keto Sugar Free Savoiardi - Lady Finger Biscuits

They can be a little tricky to perfect, but they’re not complicated.

Keto Sugar Free Savoiardi - Lady Finger Biscuits

The Key Ingredient in Keto Sugar Free – Lady Finger Savoiardi Biscuits.

First of all, I realise that the photos are actually showing flat biscuits, rather than finger-shaped ones. I make no apologies for that. Thing is, savoiardi biscuits don’t need a leavening agent such as baking powder. Gluten in the flours help them retain their finger shape during baking. But this is KETO baking. No grains and, consequently, NO GLUTEN.  Leave out the leavening agent as well, and flatness is to be expected.

You’re probably wondering why I didn’t simply add some baking powder or baking soda plus ACV or something…. Well, the answer is that I wanted these Keto Sugar Free Savoiardi – Lady Finger Biscuits to stay as true as possible to the original recipe. Too many keto / low carb look-a-likes are actually not very taste-a-like because of the alternative flours we employ. I just wanted my savoiardi to taste like savoiardi, even if that meant sacrificing the look.

Keto Sugar Free Savoiardi - Lady Finger Biscuits

Flatness aside, I must fess up to using a very non-keto ingredient. Or rather, a grain free and gluten free ingredient that isn’t the norm in a keto kitchen due to its very high carbohydrate content. Meet arrowroot starch. It replaces the cornflour in the traditional savoiardi recipe. I’m afraid you cannot skip it or replace it with anything else. Trust me. I tried. And failed. Over and over. The thing is, you need such a minute quantity that the total carbs count isn’t at all bad. I’ll say it again: DO NOT omit to incorporate arrowroot starch in this recipe unless you want to create something that is definitely not savoiardi biscuits.

They look a bit ugly, but they smell and taste like real savoiardi biscuits.

Yes, they look flatter than their ‘real’ cousins. They’re also a little bit denser (obviously…because they’re flat). But when your kitchen fills with the aroma of these beauties you’ll know you’re onto a winner.

My Keto Sugar Free Savoiardi – Lady Finger Biscuits also lack the classic top sugar layer. Intentionally. What’s it for anyway, other than to make them look less boring? Totally pointless and zero nutritional value.

As for their shape, you’ll see that I made mine look quite ‘rustic’. Unintentionally, I admit. The savoiardi mix should be piped onto a baking tray to create regular, neat, sausage shapes. I don’t do piping. Or rather, I CANNOT do piping. Every time I try, I end up wasting more mix than I use, and the little I manage to squeeze out looks a mess. I can’t even fit a piping nozzle properly. Despite having watched countless demos on You Tube I continue to be a piping failure. So now you know.

 Keto Sugar Free Savoiardi - Lady Finger Biscuits

My rustic savoiardi are spooned onto a baking sheet. No messing about with bags, nozzles or other piping gizmos. They don’t need to look pretty. 

3 TIPS for successful keto savoiardi biscuits.

#1  Measure your ingredients accurately and follow my recipe to the letter. It took me ages to bake the perfect savoiardi. I had to adjust the coconut flour vs arrowroot starch ratio many times before getting it right. Just a few grams less or more of either flour didn’t yield the right result. I’ve done the hard slog. All you have to do is stick to my quantities by metric weight as indicated in the recipe. Converting to cups or spoons will inevitably lead to failure. I guarantee it.

#2 Whip to infinity and beyond. The yolk mix must be whisked long enough to turn it into a frothy, light, syrupy thing. The egg white has to be whipped solid. Stop whisking only when your electric whisk motor starts burning (I’m kidding).

#3 When I say fold I mean fold. No rushing here, ladies and gents. You do not want to deflate anything. You need to keep as many of those tiny air bubbles you created by whisking on and on. If you’re spooning (or piping) the savoiardi mix onto your baking tray and the mix starts to spread out or even run (disaster alert!) I’m afraid you’ll have to start over. Sorry.

Keto Sugar Free Savoiardi - Lady Finger Biscuits

That’s it guys. I hope you give Keto Sugar Free Savoiardi – Lady Finger Biscuits a go. There’s a delightful CHOCOLATE TIRAMISÚ recipe that you’ll need them for…

Enjoy!

KETO SUGAR FREE SAVOIARDI - LADY FINGER BISCUITS
 
Author: 
Nutrition
  • Yield: 4
  • Serving: 1
  • Calories: 29
  • Fat: 1.3g
  • Net Carbs: 1.3g
  • Protein: 1.8g
Recipe type: Biscuits
Cuisine: Ketogenic. LCHF. Low Carb. Sugar Free. Dairy Free. Grain Free. Gluten Free.
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Dainty, light, Italian sponge biscuits. Use them for dunking or to make layered desserts like Trifle or Tiramisú.
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. separate egg and pre-heat oven to 200°C static.
  2. add lemon zest, 20g erythritol and stevia to egg yolk and whisk until pale and frothy.
  3. add lemon juice drops to egg white and whisk until stiff, then add 10g erythritol and continue to whisk until you have a very stiff meringue.
  4. in a separate bowl, sift flours and give them a good stir.
  5. fold ½ meringue very gently into egg yolk mixture, add sifted flours 1 tablespoon at a time, folding gently so as not to deflate the mix, then incorporate the remaining ½ meringue.
  6. at this point you should end up with a very light and foamy mixture.
  7. spoon onto a lined baking tray, forming 4 equal, oblong shapes (the mixture should not spread itself out at this point, if it does it is too liquid and airless - I'm afraid you'll have to start all over)
  8. bake 8-9 minutes until golden and edges start to brown.
  9. the biscuits will harden once completely cold.
Notes
They'll keep for 3-4 days, uncovered, at room temperature.

Metric kitchen scales are an inexpensive yet invaluable gadget to enable accurate measurement of ingredients. Store them upright in a cupboard or over your worktop and they'll only take up a tiny bit of space. Click HERE for the ones I use. U.S. option HERE.

 

Enjoyed this post? I really value your feedback! Please leave me a comment. If you make this recipe, make my day and post a photo on social media with the hashtag #queenketo. Thank you! 🙂

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Average rating 4.8 / 5. Votes: 8

15 Comments

  1. Marion Robinson

    Just wanted to say that I, as a low carber,I wouldn’t worry about 5g arrowroot in FOUR biscuits.You’d hardly know it was there ….( I say this as a Chef of over 60 years ! )
    I make these often, ( even though I can never remember how to spell the name LOL )
    I follow you with interest, & make most of your recipes. ( Can’t have coffee )
    You have helped me keep my blood sugar low,
    & as a Type 2 diabetic, I’m really thankful for that. I just LOVE your book ” Clean Keto ” .
    My Son hasn’t looked back, since he got it. & has lost 21 pounds ( 11 kgs )in 3 weeks.
    When I go for my Diabetic check up, they always ask how I keep my B S ( Those intial stand for Blood Sugar !!!! )
    in such a good range,I always tell them about you & one Nurse said, ” my goodness, what a lot of time & effort ” she must dedicate to doing this.
    Keep it going Dear QueenKeto, you know from the comments you get from all over the world, just HOW
    much we appreciate you….especially those with this horrible condition ! Stay Safe, we need you x

  2. With all due respect, you obviously don’t know anything about keto if you think making this with arrowroot starch (which is definitely not keto!) is OK but yet, you refuse to use gluten which is a protein not a grain and therefore perfectly fine to use in keto in moderation.

    Keto is not the same thing is gluten-free. People can be gluten-free and not keto — and conversely, they can be keto but not gluten-free. You really need to educate yourself on what keto actually is!

    • On the contrary, my dear American friend, you seem to be the one who doesn’t have a clue, with due respect. I am very aware of the difference between gluten free and keto.
      Three main things drive my choice of ingredients for the recipes I create: non-inflammatory foods (and gluten is a major culprit, irrespective of sensitivity, HERE is an easy-to-read article with references), low overall carbohydrate count (no such thing as keto or non-keto foods, lol), and intended action (drying effect, fluffiness, bulk, etc.).
      I stand by my clean keto choices. You are, of course, free to eat whatever you like, but please refrain from criticising at the very least until you acquire some real knowledge on nutrition and low carb/keto.

  3. Can you tell me please if this recipe can be doubled?

  4. Hi Antya,

    Just a quick thing: Is there a reason your recipe is written to make only 4 savoiardi? (I’m trying out different tiramisù-friendly recipes for the sponge fingers layer, and 4 little savoiardi won’t get me very far with a dinner party of 20!)

    Thanks!
    Lariss

    • Hello Larissa,
      the recipe is for 4 biscuits because that’s how many you would need for my Chocolate Tiramisù’ recipe (2 servings total). If you’re catering for that many people, my classic Tiramisù recipe (coffee and rum based) would serve you better.

      • If making the classic recipe, do you find it works better with sponge cake or savoiardi or is it merely a matter of preference? May have to look around here and try to scare up a trifle dish. This looks amazing, and tiramisu is my wife’s very most favorite dessert, so I must give it a go.

  5. Lena Raffa

    Hi Antya
    I live in Thailand and have purchased tapioca flour is that the same as arrowroot? I’m been planning to make the lady finger biscuits since you posted them. I just need to make sure that I have the right ingredients. Secondly my electric scales go in 2gr increments any ideas how to get your measurements right with them. Thank you in advance. I’ve tried many of your recipes with great success
    Lena

    • Hi Lena! Thank you so much for stopping by and for you sweet comments. I’ve never made biscuits with tapioca, but I would guess it might work instead of arrowroot, as they are both starches. If you want to be really precise with 2g increment scales (first time I’ve heard of that!), weigh 2g, then divide into two and you’ll have two lots of 1g powders. Add one of them to 4g of powder and you’re there. That said, I’m not sure if tapioca and arrowroot are interchangeable weight for weight. One can only try, right? I’d love to know how they turn out with tapioca and how much you used. Keep in touch! 🙂

  6. Elyce Bruijnes-Cobb

    Just curious – what led you to use coconut flour instead of the lupin that is in your magnificent Tiramisu?

    • Hi Elyce, it’s a different recipe altogether. Lupin flour is very powdery and too dense for these very light biscuits. Coconut flour (even when ultra fine) is more grainy, which means more air pockets, therefore more fluffiness and a lighter end result.

  7. I think I have asked before, but, is it possible to give the weight of the eggs in your recipes rather than just size ? There is a huge possibility of a disaster when there are lots of eggs called for when baking. For example, here in South Africa where I live ( near Cape Town ) the jumbo free range weigh between 65 and 73 grammes.

    Otherwise, thank you so very much for making our Banting lives so much more exciting and easy with all your time spent perfecting your wonderful recipes.

    Regards,
    Denise Sinnott
    Saldanha Bay.

    • Hi Denise, I don’t think I’ve been asked about egg weight before. But you have a very valid point, so here are my EGG WEIGHTS (shell on): SMALL 46g MEDIUM 58g LARGE 65g. You can ignore a 1-5 grams difference, but to compensate for greater differences to these weights, just add or deduct a few grams of dry ingredients. Hope this helps and thank you for the lovely comments.

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