Viennese Whirls

Viennese Whirls are buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookies AKA British biscuits that are sandwiched with jam and vanilla buttercream. Based on Mary Berry's Viennese Whirls recipe, this traditional British Biscuit will become a fast favorite!

Mary Berry's Viennese Whirls from the Great British Baking Show

This recipe for Viennese Whirls is adapted from Mary Berry's recipe. Anyone who has watched the Great British Baking Show knows who Mary Berry is. She is the Queen of Baking, in my opinion! Mary Berry and her knowledge of all things baking as well as that little twinkle in her eye while judging the bakers is what made me want to start baking!

I began to study every recipe that was made on the show and started Global Bakes partially because I was so enthralled with the recipes from all over the world that were incorporated into the challenges.

I knew that someday I would try Mary Berry's recipe for Viennese Whirls. My must-bake list of recipes is so long and Viennese Whirls kept getting pushed down the list.

Then a friend of mine texted and asked if I had ever made them. I already had some butter on the counter coming to room temperature so I jumped in and made this recipe!

My husband and son LOVED them and I did too - even though I only had two out of the entire double batch!

What do you need to make Viennese Whirls?

Vienesse Whirls come together quickly and only require a few ingredients and tools. This makes them so easy to bake when you are short on time!

To make Viennese Whirls, you will need:

• Butter - high-quality butter gives wonderful flavor but use what you have on hand. Make sure that your butter is very soft before beginning the recipe.
• Powdered sugar - I always sift mine to avoid lumps!
• Cornstarch - This adds a light texture to the cookies AKA biscuits.
• All-purpose Flour - This is the same as plain flour in the UK.
• Salt - I have added a little kosher salt to Mary's recipe because salt enhances the flavors!
• Vanilla - I have added a splash for additional flavor.
• Raspberry Preserves or Jam - Mary Berry's recipe includes ingredients to make your own jam but I have skipped this step and used Bonne Maman Raspberry Preserves to save time. Bonne Maman preserves are top quality!
• One or two piping bags - You will definitely need one piping bag to make the signature swirl cookies. You can choose to pipe the buttercream filling or just spread on with a palate knife. This is totally up to you! I use 18-inch piping bags because they hold all of the batter without spilling out.
• Piping tips - I used a Wilton 1M tip to pipe the cookies. You can use the same tip to pipe your buttercream or mix it up and use whatever tip you want. The design on the buttercream is not as important as the design of the cookie.
• Stand Mixer - You can use a hand mixer but this batter can be stiff and is easier to mix with a stand mixer.

Tips for a Successful Bake

I found that when I made the first batch of batter, the butter was too cold. For the life of me, I couldn't pipe the batter! I had the butter on the counter to come to room temperature for about 2 hours.

BUT - it was very cool in my house since the windows were open and the weather outside was definitely turning towards cold temperatures! It was 67F in my house at the time.

PRO TIP: If your house is on the cooler side, I recommend that you use a little trick to soften the butter. Fill a microwave-safe glass or bowl with water and microwave for about 1 minute. Pour out the water and place the glass or bowl, upside down, over the butter for a couple of minutes. The butter will be very soft and perfect for making Viennese Whirls!

Tips for a Successful Bake

• Make sure that your butter is VERY soft! See the tip above. If your butter is not soft enough, you will have a difficult time piping the cookies. I burst the first piping bag because the batter was too stiff!
• Chill the cookies after piping to keep the piped design from spreading during baking.
• Don't go overboard on the jam. It will squish out a bit when the cookies are sandwiched together so just use about a teaspoon for each.
• If the batter is stiff and your Viennese Whirls won't pipe, use your hands to warm up the batter. Just rub your hands over the bag and squeeze gently without pushing it out the back of the bag. You can also set it in a warm area of your kitchen for a few minutes and then try again.
• Switch out the preserves if you don't have raspberry or prefer a different flavor! I love raspberry but switching to blackberry made an amazing variation!
• If you have any whirls that don't look perfect, just use them as the bottom cookie in the sandwich! No one will know and they still taste delicious!
• I highly recommend a kitchen scale when baking. I am converting all of my recipes to provide both weight and volume measurements but baking with a scale will provide consistent results!

How to pipe Viennese Whirls

The batter for Viennese Whirls is notorious for being difficult to pipe. In order to pipe them more easily, follow these tips:

Start with SOFT BUTTER! If the butter is even a little bit cool or firm, piping the Viennese Whirls will be next to impossible.

CREAM THAT BUTTER AND SUGAR! This step of the recipe ensures that the butter is aerated and light, allowing for easier piping.

USE A TEMPLATE - This can be as simple as drawing a circle around a round cutter on the back side of your parchment paper. A template will make sure that all of your cookies are the same size so they will fit together perfectly after they are filled.

START PIPING ON THE OUTSIDE - If you begin piping around the outside of the circle (just inside the circle template) and pipe towards the center, you will get a more even cookie (biscuit) and the size and shape will be more consistent.

REFRIGERATE FOR 15 MINUTES - Refrigerating the piped Viennese Whirls is not required but it helps to set the shape and firm up the butter before going into the oven. This will make sure that your cookies hold their shape.

How do you store Viennese Whirls?

The jam filling in Viennese Whirls requires refrigeration so store these cookies in an airtight continer in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Bring the cookies to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.

Can you freeze Viennese Whirls?

Viennese Whirls freeze beautifully BEFORE they are filled! You can make the cookies and the buttercream and freeze both for up to three months. When you are ready to serve, remove the freezer and thaw for two to four hours at room temperature.

If you assemble the Viennese Whirls before freezing, the jam will become very firm and gummy so it is best to freeze them unassembled.

Try some of my other cookie recipes!

My Brown Butter Snickerdoodles are my most requested cookie at parties and gatherings! And chocolate lovers can't resist these Flourless Chocolate Cookies or The PERFECT Chocolate Chip Cookie!

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