Ladyfingers

(about 24 4-inch cookies). Preheat oven to 325'F. Grease and lightly flour 2 cookie sheets. Separate the eggs. (Put the egg yolks into the electric mixer bowl and the egg whites into a smaller bowl with the rotary beater nearby so you can hand beat the whites with the rotary the last minute the yolk mixture is beating.) Combine the egg yolks, granulated sugar and vanilla in the mixing bowl. Beat for 4 minutes until the mixture is pale and thickened. It is important to beat long enough. Add the flour and beat until blended; the mixture will be very thick and stiff. Add the salt to the egg whites. Beat until the whites are stiff but not dry and no longer slide around in the bowl. Gently stir 1/2 of the whites into the yolk mixture--don't overblend--then fold the remaining whites into the yolk mixture. Lay a ruler along side the cookie sheet to get the first ladyfinger exactly 4-inch to serve as a guide. They will not spread much during baking, so you can place then 1/2-inch apart or less. Pipe 4-inch finger shapes onto the prepared cookie sheets or dribble the batter from a spoon. Dust with confectioner's sugar. Bake for 15-18 minutes; they should be light and golden all over. Remove from the oven and gently lift with a spatula to a rack to cool. They will freeze well.