Blackcurrant & Mascarpone Viennese Whirls

Name: Blackcurrant & Mascarpone Viennese Whirls
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 250 g Butter; 50 g Icing sugar; 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract; 225 g Plain flour; 25 g Cornflour (also known as cornstarch); 75 g Butter (softened, unsalted); 75 g Icing sugar; 150 g Mascarpone; 1/4 tsp Vanilla extract; 85 g Blackcurrant Jam

05/09/2016 by thebakingexplorer 28 Comments

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Viennese whirls are the most wonderful melt in mouth biscuit. They have such a soft and delightful texture. They are made without eggs and are a bit different from other biscuits as the dough is loose enough to be piped. This creates the beautiful whirls and ridges of these pretty sandwich biscuits. The classic way to fill them is with vanilla buttercream and raspberry jam, but these Blackcurrant & Mascarpone Viennese Whirls are a bit different (and even better in my opinion!) They are filled with a mascarpone buttercream and blackcurrant jam - it's such a tasty combination! Once you try you won't want to go back to the regular kind!

Blackcurrant & Mascarpone Viennese Whirls

Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information

Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the butter) are at room temperature before you start baking.
I prefer to use unsalted butter for this recipe, but you can also use a baking spread.
I recommend using a 12mm open star nozzle to pipe out the biscuits. The nozzle I used was a Jem 1E nozzle.
If you prefer, you can swap the blackcuurant jam for another like strawberry or raspberry.
I used mascarpone for the buttercream, but cream cheese will work too, just make sure it's full fat.
Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to make Blackcurrant & Mascarpone Viennese Whirls

To make the biscuit dough, mix the softened butter and icing sugar together in an electric mixer for several minutes until very creamy and paler in colour. Mix the plain flour and cornflour together in a separate bowl, then add half of it to the butter mixture and combine. Then add the remaining flour and cornflour, as well as the vanilla, and mix until combined.

Put the bisciut dough mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle. Pipe out the dough onto lined baking trays. Chill for 15 minutes, then bake for 12-15 minutes until lightly golden. Leave to cool completely.

Make the mascarpone buttercream by mixing the butter and icing sugar together, then mix in the mascarpone and vanilla extract. Pipe it onto half of the biscuit, and spread some blackcurrant jam on top. Then sandwich them together with the empty biscuits.

Do you have to chill the biscuits before baking them?

You don't have to, but I do recommend it as the biscuit dough can get quite soft in the piping bag from the warmth of your hands. So a short chill helps to firm them up a bit and retain their shape as much as possible before baking them.

How should the biscuits be stored and can they be frozen?

You can freeze the un-filled biscuits for up to 3 months, place them into a freezer bag or tupperware container, and put a square of baking paper between each one to stop them from sticking together. Once they are filled with the mascarpone buttercream and blackcurrant jam, store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Do you need any electric mixer to make this recipe?

Yes, I highly recommend using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for the best results when making these biscuits.

Can this recipe be made gluten free?

For gluten free you can replace the plain flour with a gluten free plain flour blend. You may also like to add ¼ tsp Xanthan Gum for better texture. Please check the labels of everything you use if serving to someone with an allergy or intolerance.

Can this recipe be made dairy free?

For a dairy free version, use a dairy free baking spread instead of butter. I recommend Flora Plant or the Stork Baking Block. You will also need to use a dairy free alternative to mascarpone for the filling. Please do check the labels of everything you use if serving to someone with an allergy or intolerance.

More tips for making the Blackcurrant & Mascarpone Viennese Whirls:

Even though I use quite strong piping bags, I recommend double bagging the biscuit dough as if I only use one I find it always bursts out.
When piping the dough, start from the outside and pipe inwards to the centre. I find this makes the biscuits the perfect thickness.
If you want the biscuits to all be the same size you can draw around a cookie cutter onto your baking paper, then flip it over, and use the circles as a guide.

Troubleshooting

If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!

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