These Viennese Whirl Cookies come to you from......England. I was surprised also. It seems they were thought to look like something that came from Vienna. Whatever was thought about them, they are a stunningly delicious, melt in your mouth cookie with only four ingredients for the basic cookie.
While the traditional English version is filled with buttercream and raspberry jam, I've upped the ante with a Strawberry Chocolate filling that will wow you!
This entire cookie is so easy to make, you won't want to miss it.
Baking gets better when you subscribe to receive this PDF on getting the most out of baking including information on equipment, ingredients and baking equipment.
If you love sandwich cookies, here are a few more: Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies, Dulce de Leche Your Way, and the Milano cookie of your dreams Langue de Chat.
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Why This Recipe is for You
- Soooo easy to make.
- 4 ingredients for the cookie that are most likely in your pantry.
- The Viennese Whirls are good by themselves and extraordinary when sandwiched - your choice.
- The Strawberry buttercream is great to fill a cake or top cupcakes and it actually tastes like strawberries unlike those made with jam.
- These last a while if kept in an airtight tin.
- They can be frozen for longer storage.
Importance of Double Panning
Double panning refers to placing one pan on top of another to slow down the bottom of cookies or baked goods becoming overly browned before the rest of the item is baked through. It is especially important when using brown sugar, molasses, honey, corn syrup, light or dark, chocolate and a lot of butter .
See the photos below to see the differences. For more information on double panning, please see my post.
Variations
- A lemon version can be made by adding the zest of a large lemon plus ¾ teaspoon citric acid (optional) to the butter and sugar when creaming. The citric acid can be found online. It adds a tartness to the cookies to emulate the taste of whole lemons.
- And the zest of a small orange for an orange version.
- For a citric version, add a teaspoon of lemon zest, orange zest and lime zest for an unusual flavor.
- There's a killer mincemeat filling that makes a delicious filling
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the exact ingredients & instructions.
Recipe Ingredients
Viennese Whirl Cookies
FRONT ROW: Unsalted butter, vanilla
BACK ROW: Cake flour, powdered sugar
Filling Ingredients
FRONT ROW: Almond extract, milk, powdered sugar
MIDDLE ROW: Red food coloring, unsalted butter
BACK ROW: Freeze dried strawberries, chocolate, heavy cream
Freeze Dried Strawberries can be found in stores or online. Trader Joe's has them as well as other freeze-dried fruit at the best prices I have found.
I don't prefer chocolate chips. My chocolate of choice is Callebaut #811 Semisweet Callets. They look like chocolate chips but are pure chocolate that can be used where any good chocolate is needed.
Heavy Cream is higher in fat content than those marked whipping cream. It is great to use wherever a recipes specifies.
Step by Step Instructions
Draw a template on parchment paper using a 1 ¾" round cookie cutter or whatevet size you want, spaced about 1" apart. Place a second piece of paper on top. Fit a piping bag with a 38" open star tip.
Step 1. Place the butter, powdered sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a mixer. Step 2. Cream together until light. Step 3. Add all of the flour. Step 4. Beat on low until completely combined.
Step 5. If the batter is too stiff to pipe, place only as much as can be piped at once in a microwave safe bowl. Step 6. Microwave 4 or 5 seconds to soften. Repeat, with 3 more seconds if necessary. Do not get it too soft or the cookies won't keep their shape. Step 7. Pipe the cookies into whatever shape you desire. Step 8. Double Pan and bake the cookies. Cool them on the pan.
Step 9. The left cookie was baked on a single pan, the right cookie on a double pan. Step 10. The bottom of the left cookie is noticeably darker than the right cookie which was double panned. Step 11. Heat the cream until it is steamy but not boiling. Step 12. Add the chocolate to the hot cream.
Step 13. Submerge the chocolate under the hot cream. Let it sit for 3 or 4 minutes. Step 14. Whisk gently until completely mixed. Don't be too enthusiastic or air bubbles will be incorporated. Step 15. To quick cool the ganache, spread it on a rimmed baking sheet. Step 16. Cover it with plastic wrap until it is pipable.
Strawberry Buttercream
Please see the how to photos on my Strawberry Buttercream Frosting post.
Assembly
Step 17. Match the individual cookies for size. Turn them upside down. Pipe the strawberry buttercream in one of two ways, either as a ring around the outer edge or fully covering the cookie. Step 18. Fill the open center of the ring with the chocolate ganache. Step 19. Or, pipe the chocolate ganache directly on top of the cookie completely covered with the strawberry buttercream. Step 20. Place the top cookie on the filled cookies.
Recipe FAQS
The powdered sugar. Cookies made with powdered sugar have this quality whereas cookies made with granulated sugar are more firm.
Microwave only the amount that will be piped at once for 3 to 5 seconds in the microwave. Do not get too soft or they won't hold their shape.
All chocolate, mincemeat is a great filling, just process it to smooth it out, any jam you wish, any flavor of buttercream you wish.
Expert Tips
- Use a small open star B tip about ⅜" for the best look when piping the strawberry buttercream or the chocolate ganache.
- For a list of piping tips see my post on Lange de Chat.
- If the pastry is too hard to pipe, microwave only the amount you will use immediately for 3 to 5 seconds to soften it. Repeat if necessary but be careful not to get it too soft or the cookie will not hold its shape.
- The butter for these cookies should be softer than usual to aid with the piping.
- Be sure to double pan to prevent the over browning of the bottoms and to make sure the tops are evenly browned.
- Pair the cookies for size prior to filling for the best looking cookies.
If you love these Viennese Whirl Cookies or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating in the recipe card and let me know how it went the in 📝 comments below. Thank you and I appreciate each of you being here!
Viennese Whirl Cookies
Ingredients
Viennese Whirl Cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened* (225 grams)
- ½ cup powdered sugar (65 grams)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 ¾ cup cake flour (225 grams)
Strawberry Filling
- 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries (34 grams)
- ⅞ cup powdered sugar (100 grams)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (58 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 or 2 tablespoons milk
- Red food coloring, optional
Chocolate Ganache
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 170 grams semisweet chocolate (not chocolate chips)
Instructions
Cookies
- *The butter should be very soft. Softer and usual.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream the butter and powdered sugar until light and creamy. if using citrus zest, add it with the butter and sugar.
- Add the vanilla or alternate flavoring.
- Add all of the flour, beating on low to combine.
Shaping the Cookies
- Draw a template on parchment paper using a 1 ¾" round cookie cutter or any size you wish. Space them about 1" apart. Place a second piece of parchment on top. Fit a piping bag with a ⅜" open star tip. Set aside.
- If the batter is too stiff to pipe, place only as much as you can pipe at once in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 3 to 5 seconds. If still too stiff, repeat using the least amount of time. Do not get it too soft or it will not hold its shape when baked.
- Pipe the cookies to within about ⅛" of the inside of the circle.
- Remove the template to use on another baking sheet under parchment.
- Freeze the tray of cookies for 5 or 10 minutes until hard. Double pan and bake for about 13 to 15 minutes until a light medium brown. Cool completely.
Chocolate Ganache Filling
- Place the cream in a small saucepan or use the microwave to heat the cream until steaming hot but not boiling.
- Submerge the chocolate under the cream and let it sit for several minutes. Whisk to smooth out. Cool it until it can be piped and hold its shape. To quick cool the ganache, spread it out on a sheet tray. Cover it with film.
Strawberry Buttercream
- Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Beat on low to bring together, then raise the mixer to medium to medium high and beat to lighten and increase the volume.
Sandwiching the Cookies
- Pair the cookies for size. Lay them out with the bottoms turned up.
- Pipe the strawberry buttercream either in a circle, leaving the middle exposed or completely cover the cookie.
- Pipe the chocolate ganache in the middle of the circle or on top of the cookie completely covered with buttercream. Place the second cookie on top.
Notes
- A lemon version can be made by adding the zest of a large lemon plus ¾ teaspoon citric acid (optional) to the butter and sugar when creaming. The citric acid can be found online. It adds a tartness to the cookies to emulate the taste of whole lemons.
- And the zest of a small orange for an orange version.
- For a citric version, add a teaspoon of lemon zest, orange zest and lime zest for an unusual flavor.
- There's a killer mincemeat filling that makes a delicious filling.
- Use a small open star B tip about ⅜" for the best look when piping the strawberry buttercream or the chocolate ganache.
- For a list of piping tips see my post on Lange de Chat.
- If the pastry is too hard to pipe, microwave only the amount you will use immediately for 3 to 5 seconds to soften it. Repeat if necessary but be careful not to get it too soft or the cookie will not hold its shape.
- The butter for these cookies should be softer than usual to aid with the piping.
- Be sure to double pan to prevent the over browning of the bottoms and to make sure the tops are evenly browned.
- Pair the cookies for size prior to filling for the best looking cookies.
- Store these in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
- You will have ganache left over. Add a bit of extra cream, warm it and it makes an excellent sauce for desserts or hot fudge ice cream.
- These cookies can be made smaller, just adjust the baking time a bit.
Nutrition
Rocky says
How do you think this cookie dough would work in a cookie gun press? I recently had hand surgery and squeezing a pastry bag is hard to do. They look and sound great with the filling.
Thanks xo
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Rocky - Happy to hear from you. Hope your hand is recovering nicely. If you can pipe it, it should go through a cookie press. I've never tried it but it sounds like a good idea. Let me know if you try it. Always happy to add on to posts. Take care.
Nikki says
I love these cookies. I have made Mary Berry's version and this ones seems to take that to a whole "nuther level. Your claim to fame now is that you out did Mary Berry!
Thank you again for a stunning recipe.
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Nikki - Thanks for the compliment. Happy to be in her company.