Great British Bake Off: Biscuit Week

Viennese Whirls recipe

With the first baker gone, it’s time to look forward to Biscuit Week on The Great British Bake Off and this week’s technical challenge is Viennese Whirls.

Said to be inspired by Austrian pastries, the Viennese Whirl is actually a British invention – two buttery biscuits sandwiched together with jam and buttercream.

Pastry Chef at The Royal York Hotel Martyn Edmonds gives us his recipe for the much-loved teatime treat – here he’s used raspberry jam, but why not try strawberry, plum or peach? Give them a go at home share your photos with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Viennese Whirls

Ingredients

For the biscuits
250g unsalted butter
55g icing sugar
225g plain flour
75g cornflour
Pinch of salt
1/2tsp vanilla extract

For the filling
70g raspberry jam
100g unsalted butter
200g icing sugar
1/2tsp vanilla extract
1tbsp double cream

Method

For the biscuits
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4. Grease two baking trays and line with baking parchment.
2. Use an electric beater to mix the butter with the icing sugar until pale and very soft. Stir in the flour, cornflour, salt and vanilla.
3. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle and pipe 20 biscuits onto the baking trays.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, being careful not to brown the biscuits. Leave the biscuits on the tray to cool for a few minutes, then gently lift them off and cool on a wire rack.

For buttercream filling
1. Cream together the butter and icing sugar.
2. Add the vanilla and double cream and mix at high speed until the filling is fluffy.
3. Pipe the buttercream over the flat side of ten of the cooled biscuits. Spread the flat sides of the remaining biscuits with jam.
4. Assemble the whirls by sandwiching the buttercream and jam sides together. Dust with icing sugar.