Piped Butter Biscuits (Viennese Whirl Cookies) Recipe
Delight in these elegant Piped Butter Biscuits, also known as Viennese Whirl Cookies, featuring a tender buttery base piped into charming shapes, sandwiched with luscious raspberry jam and optionally coated in rich dark chocolate. Perfect for tea time or special occasions, these delicate cookies combine crisp edges with a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours including chilling and setting times
- Yield: 16 servings (about 32 cookies sandwiched)
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: European
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Butter Biscuit Dough
- 200 g unsalted butter, very soft
- 50 g powdered sugar (icing sugar)
- Pinch of fine salt
- 14 g vanilla extract
- 1/2 orange, zested (optional)
- 220 g all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- 30 g corn starch
- 40 g heavy cream, warm
Fillings and Coating
- 150 g raspberry jam (for sandwiching)
- 300 g dark cooking chocolate
- 20 g vegetable oil
Instructions
- Whip Butter and Sugar: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, powdered sugar, fine salt, vanilla extract, and optional orange zest. Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream these ingredients together for 1 to 2 minutes until pale and fluffy without overwhipping to avoid excessive air bubbles.
- Add Flour and Cream to Form Dough: Gradually add half of the all-purpose flour and corn starch mixture along with the warm heavy cream to the creamed butter mixture. Mix on low speed until combined. Then add the remaining dry ingredients and continue mixing until a soft, spreadable dough forms. Scrape down the bowl as needed to ensure even mixing.
- Prepare Piping Bag: Transfer the dough into a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip, such as Wilton 1M or Ateco 827, to achieve the signature swirl or éclair shapes.
- Pipe the Biscuits: Pipe the dough onto a baking tray lined with baking paper in desired shapes like 5cm long éclair shapes or rosettes. Leave a few centimeters of space between each cookie to allow for slight spreading during chilling and baking.
- Chill the Piped Dough: Refrigerate the tray with piped dough for 30 minutes to prevent excessive spreading and help maintain the defined shapes when baked.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F) with the fan off or 155°C (310°F) if using a fan oven. Position the rack in the middle of the oven for even baking.
- Bake the Biscuits: Bake the chilled biscuits for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges start turning golden. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool completely on the baking tray.
- Pair the Cookies: Match the cookies in pairs of similar size to create neat sandwiched biscuits.
- Sandwich with Raspberry Jam: Spread raspberry jam on the flat side of half the cookies and gently sandwich them with the remaining cookies. Refrigerate the assembled sandwiches for 30 to 60 minutes to set and prevent sliding during coating.
- Melt Chocolate Coating: Place the dark cooking chocolate and vegetable oil in a heatproof bowl. Melt gently by microwaving in 30-second intervals, stirring between each until fully melted, or use a double boiler method by placing the bowl over gently simmering water. Allow the melted chocolate to cool slightly before using.
- Coat the Biscuits in Chocolate (Optional): Dip each jam sandwich cookie into the melted chocolate, letting excess chocolate drip off. Scrape the bottom edge along the side of the bowl to create a clean finish. Place the coated cookies on a baking tray lined with baking paper and allow the chocolate to set at room temperature before serving.
Notes
- Use very soft butter to achieve a light, creamy texture in the dough but avoid overwhipping to prevent a frothy mix.
- Orange zest is optional but adds a subtle citrus aroma that complements the vanilla and raspberry jam beautifully.
- Chilling the piped dough before baking is crucial to maintain the cookie’s shape and prevent spreading during baking.
- For best chocolate coating, use dark cooking chocolate combined with vegetable oil to ensure a smooth, glossy finish and easy dipping.
- Letting the jam-sandwiched cookies set in the fridge helps the filling firm up and keeps the sandwich more stable during the chocolate coating process.
