Langues de Chat

9 tablespoons butter, softened

½ cup white sugar

2 tablespoons white sugar

3 egg whites

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

6 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate, melted

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease baking sheets.

In a medium bowl, cream together butter and 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg whites one at a time until batter is light and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla. Mix in the flour just until blended. Dough will be a little stiff.

Using a cookie press or a pastry bag with a medium star tip, press dough onto prepared baking sheet into 3-inch lengths, like a ladyfinger.

Bake cookies in preheated oven until straw-colored, about 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

When cookies are cool, dip one end of each cookie in melted chocolate and place on wax paper until chocolate hardens. Store in a cool place.