The Viennese Biscuit is a modern classic when it comes to British biscuits.
While perhaps the most recognisable variety is Mr. Kipling's ‘Viennese Whirl’ - two piped biscuits sandwiched together with buttercream and jam - there are many variations.
This recipe for ‘Viennese Biscuits’ is a long-standing family favourite. Found in the pages of our copy of Hamlyn's 'The Best of Cooking' (published 1987), this recipe gives you gorgeous, buttery biscuits with a good crunch and chocolate coating. You simply MUST try them ♡
Original Recipe: 'Viennese Biscuits' (Book 10, 1987)
Speed: 35-40 mins. | Makes: 20 large, 40 small
INGREDIENTS
150g unsalted butter
100g icing sugar, sifted
50g cornflour, sifted
4 tbsp. milk
Pinch of salt
Grated rind of 1/2 lemon
225g plain flour, sifted
175g plain chocolate
METHOD
1. Cream the butter with the icing sugar and cornflour until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in the milk, salt and lemon rind.
3. Add the flour into the bowl and mix together thoroughly, adding more milk if the mixture is particularly stiff and will be too thick to pipe.
Note: We needed to add around double the amount of milk required to pipe the biscuits with some ease. If, like us, you need to add more milk, try and keep this as little as possible so that your biscuits hold their shape in the oven and have a nice crunch to them.
4. Using a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle, pipe into rounds and/or other shapes.
5. Bake in a moderate oven (180° C / 350° F / Gas Mark 4) for 10-12 minutes or until light brown. Then, cool the biscuits on a wire tray.
6. Melt the chocolate gently, stirring until completely melted.
7. Dip the biscuits in the chocolate so that they are half coated and allow to dry on greaseproof paper.
Variations
We’ve shown you the original recipe here, but over the years and for all sorts of occasions have tried and tested many variations. To name but a few, we've had Viennese biscuits:
➀ Kept plain and dusted with a little icing sugar;
➁ Sandwiched together with vanilla buttercream & raspberry jam (a la Mr. Kipling);
➂ Piped into lines, each end dipped in chocolate and sandwiched together with more chocolate;
➃ Coated with lemon water icing and sprinkled with edible lavender;
➄ Half dipped in white chocolate & sprinkled with freeze-dried raspberry pieces;
➅ Coated with rose water flavoured water icing and freeze-dried raspberry pieces;
➆ Add cocoa powder to the dough to make Chocolate Viennese Biscuits and coat partially (or completely) with chocolate.
Cooking with Kids?
These biscuits can be fun for children to shape and decorate. For a children's party, why not allow the kids to pipe their own shapes onto a baking sheet and then help them to decorate with different water icings, chocolates and hundreds and thousands? Yum!
Original Recipes for ‘Viennese Biscuits'
'BOOK 10': The Best of Cooking, 14th Edition (1987)
By: Hamlyn
Publisher: Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited (Bridge House, London Road, Twickenham, Middlesex, England, U.K.)