LADY FINGERS

• Preheat oven to 356°F CONVECTION; line a baking tray with parchment paper
• Separate your egg white from your yolk, placing your white into a big bowl and your yolk into another
• Using a mixer, beat your egg white until frothy, then, one-third at a time, add in 3 teaspoons of your sugar. Mix in between each addition until all is incorporated. Once all the sugar is added, beat until stiff peaks form*
• In your bowl with your egg yolk, once your whites are whipped, add your remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar and whisk for about one minute, until the mixture becomes pale yellow
• Add the yolk mixture to your egg white and use a metal spoon to lightly fold together. Don’t fully combine at this stage, it’s important not to over-mix this mixture as you don’t want to risk losing too much air
• Sift your flour and cocoa powder into the mixture and fold it until it is combined. Again, do not overmix
• Place the mixture into a piping bag or zip-top bag and snip a small opening at the tip
• Pipe half-inch fingers about 3-4 inches long. Give them a little space on the tray as they may spread slightly as they bake (but they won’t spread too much)
• Sprinkle piped fingers with coarse sugar
• Bake for 8 minutes until lightly puffed and appear dry
• Remove from the oven and slide your parchment paper, with your baked fingers on it, onto a wire rack to cool completely

FILLING

• Place your cream cheese into a medium bowl and beat to smooth out. Pour in your heavy cream and sift in your powdered sugar. Whip until fluffy, about a minute
• Add in your chopped mint leaves and give one last quick beat to mix through

ASSEMBLY

• Using the hot cocoa packet, pour it into a bowl, add half the amount of warm water stated on the packet, and stir. Cool slightly so you’re not dipping your lady fingers into hot liquid
• Dip half of the lady fingers, one by one, into your cocoa liquid and place them in one layer at the bottom of your small dish. Breaking them as needed to have one even layer
• Top with half of your mint whip and repeat one more time, until all your filling has been used, the top layer should be the whipped cream mixture
• Lightly sift cocoa powder over the top, cover, and refrigerate for at least two hours
• Enjoy!