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Mary Berry’s Viennese Whirls

Published on November 4, 2020 Updated on July 22, 2022 By: Tricia Buice
5 from 84 votes

Enjoy these delicious, tender melt-in-your-mouth butter cookies slathered with raspberry jam and a light vanilla buttercream filling.

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Tender, buttery, melt in your mouth Viennese Whirls!

A cake plate stacked with Viennese Whirls, butter cookies piped into swirls sandwiched together with raspberry jam and buttercream

 

Delicious butter cookies slathered with raspberry jam and a light vanilla buttercream filling.

Are you a fan of The Great British Baking Show? If you’ve followed along on PBS or binged all available seasons on Netflix, you may remember these Viennese Whirls featured in Season 4, Episode 2 as part of a technical challenge for the bakers.

This delicious recipe comes from Mary Berry one of the celebrity judges on the show. My husband and I had never seen The Great British Baking Show before it was released on Netflix, but by the end of the first episode we were hooked. It’s easy to see why it’s so popular everywhere!

We were drawn into the variety of the challenges, the personalities, and the sheer magnitude of their creativity! The show has featured some pretty amazing bakers and equally fantastic creations.

 

A platter of Viennese Whirls, little butter cookies piped into swirls sandwiched together with jam and buttercream and dusted with powdered sugar

These tender little cookies (a/k/a biscuits) are really easy to make (if you follow the directions – haha – always a caveat!)

All measurements for the ingredients are noted in grams instead of the typical cups we use in the United States. I’ve made these cookies several times and during the first two attempts I tried converting the measurements to cups instead of grams. I hoped this would make it easier for our readers who don’t own a digital scale.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t happy with either attempt and found that the measurements don’t convert as well as hoped. Do yourself a favor and buy an inexpensive digital kitchen scale and get it right the first time. The balance of butter to flour must be exact to achieve the perfect swirl and proper texture.

In addition to a digital scale, you’ll need two piping bags and two decorator tips.

I used a Wilton 1M tip to pipe the cookie dough and the Wilton 4B tip for the buttercream. You could use the same tip (1M) for both if you want, or just spread the buttercream on with a knife. The swirl on the cookies is much more important than the buttercream filling.

Overhead view of Viennese Whirls dusted with powdered sugar

Ingredients needed to make Viennese Whirls:

For the cookies:

  • unsalted butter
  • confectioner’s or powdered sugar
  • all-purpose flour
  • cornstarch or arrowroot

For the filling:

  • unsalted butter
  • confectioner’s or powdered sugar
  • vanilla extract
  • raspberry jam

TIPS and Techniques to make Viennese Whirls:

  • As mentioned in the recipe below, the butter must be very, very soft (not melted) in order to pipe the dough into swirls.
  • Pipe the cookie dough slowly and evenly ensuring a good thick line inside the circle template. Start piping on the inside edge of the circle and end in the middle by pulling up into a point. The dough will settle down when baked and leave you with the pretty pattern on the top.
  • Use the best swirls for the cookie tops. Nobody needs to know if some are not perfect. The cookies are delicious no matter how they look.
  • Don’t get carried away and add too much jam. Spread on just enough to cover as it will ooze out a little when sandwiched together.
  • I hope all these tips help and that you enjoy making, baking and sharing these treats. They are buttery and light. So delicious and pretty easy to make too!

 

 

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A cake platter stacked with butter cookies sandwiched with raspberry jam and buttercream frosting

Viennese Whirls

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 2 minutes
Yield: 16 Sandwich Cookies
Course: Dessert
Author: Tricia
Pin RecipePrint RecipeRate Recipe
5 from 84 votes
Enjoy these delicious, tender melt-in-your-mouth butter cookies slathered with raspberry jam and a light vanilla buttercream filling.

Ingredients

For the cookies:

  • 250 grams unsalted butter very soft but not melted
  • 50 grams powdered sugar
  • 225 grams all-purpose flour
  • 25 grams cornstarch

For the fillings:

  • 100 grams unsalted butter room temperature
  • 200 grams powdered sugar plus extra for dusting on top
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup seedless raspberry jam

Instructions

To prepare the cookies:

  • Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter as a guide, trace 15-16 circles on each piece of parchment, spaced at least 1-inch apart. Turn the parchment over so the pencil marks are on the bottom. Set aside.
  • Prepare a piping bag fitted with a medium star tip. Set aside.
  • Combine the butter and powdered sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until pale and fluffy. Sift the flour and cornstarch together over the butter mixture. Beat on low until just combined, then beat on medium until well blended. Scoop the mixture into the prepared piping bag.
  • Pipe the cookie dough into swirled rounds (not rosettes) ending in the center with a little peak. Pipe each round a little smaller than the circle. The cookies will spread a little when baking and are best when not too big. Go slow and pipe a thick stream of dough for best results.
  • Refrigerate the unbaked cookies for 30 minutes before baking. This will help the cookies keep their pretty shape. Repeat with remaining dough.
  • After 30 minutes in the refrigerator, bake the sheets, one at a time, at 375°F for 10-15 minutes. The cookies should be light golden brown around the edges. If too pale, the cookies will not hold together well when eaten. They are best when just slightly brown on the bottom. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To prepare the filling:

  • Prepare a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Combine the softened butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract in a medium mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and light. Spoon the buttercream into the prepared piping bag.
  • Spoon about 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons jam onto the flat side of half the cookies. Pipe buttercream onto the flat side of the remaining cookies. Gently sandwich the two sides together using one with buttercream and one with jam. Repeat until all cookies are filled. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

Recipe Notes

Tools needed for this recipe: Digital kitchen scale, 2 piping bags, a medium star piping tip and a large star piping tip
IMPORTANT TIPS for success:
  • The butter must be very soft when mixing or the dough will be impossible to pipe into rounds.
  • Take your time when piping the rounds. The piped dough should be somewhat thick to achieve pretty swirls.
  • Depending on how thick you make the rounds, you may or may not need to pipe a few additional rounds on a third piece of parchment.
  • Use the 2-inch circles as a guide and try to keep the dough inside the rounds to make them a bit smaller. The cookies are thick so they don’t need to be big too.
  • Refrigerate the unbaked cookies for 30 minutes before baking to set the butter and help the cookies keep their shape.
  • Bake until the bottom edges of the cookies are just lightly browned. If too light the cookies will not hold together well. If too brown they are not as pretty. Watch your baking time closely.
  • Don’t use too much jam as the top of the cookie may slide off.
  • Refrigerate finished cookies until ready to serve. Allow them to come to room temperature for 15-30 minutes before serving if desired.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition

Calories: 305kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 7mg | Potassium: 29mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 547IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg

 

Another favorite butter cookie with raspberry jam are these always popular Raspberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprints. With a subtle almond flavor and a buttery, crisp shortbread base, these cookies are topped with sweet raspberry jam and an almond flavored drizzle.

And finally, don’t miss these Chocolate Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies too. Who can resist the classic combination of raspberries and chocolate?!  This little cookie boasts plenty of chocolate flavor and a fun little heart shaped thumbprint filled with seedless raspberry jam.

Originally published November 2018, updated November 2020

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177 Comments

  1. Stacy Genereux

    I made these last night and the biscuits were so fragile that they crumbled as soon as I picked them up. I measured all the ingredients with my food scale, so I did not make a mistake. I refrigerated them for 15 minutes before baking also. Any idea why this happened and what I can try to clear up this problem? My husband loved them and I would like to make them again.

    Reply

    • Tricia Buice

      Hi Stacy – sorry you had this problem. You need to bake them just a few minutes more. It makes all the difference. Make sure they are lightly browned on the bottom and they’ll be fine. I’m sure this will fix it! Hope you’ll try again – they’re so good and really hold together once baked long enough. Oven temperatures vary so use your best judgment. You want to bake them long enough to hold together but don’t want them too brown so they’re not as pretty. Good luck and thanks for trying the recipe.

      Reply

  2. Cat Forbeck

    What is the difference in corn flour and corn starch. The original recipe for Vienesse Whirls calls for corn flour, but your recipe calls for corn starch. Thanks!

    Reply

  3. Angelina

    Would it be okay to use seeded raspberry jam instead of seedless? I love seeded jam but I wanted to double check in case you think it would somehow ruin the cookie or something.

    Reply

    • Andrea

      Hi there,
      I’ve tried this recipe twice, the consistency looks right and the biscuits look how they should, but both times they have tasted very claggy and completely dissolved/crumbled when eating.

      Do you have any ideas what may be going wrong?

      Thanks

      Reply

      • Tricia Buice

        Hi Andrea. Sorry you’re having trouble with this recipe. Make sure your cornstarch is aluminum free for better flavor. Also bake the cookies just one or two minutes more. Light brown on the bottom is good. These cookies will be too crumbly if under baked. I hope you’ll try again and good luck.

  7. Elizabeth Edmondson

    Hi. These look great. I can’t wait to try them. Do you know how long they will last after baking, with and without the cream and jam on? Thanks

    Reply

    • Tricia Buice

      These cookies will last a week if refrigerated, with the filling and jam. I don’t think they’ll last much longer than that filled or not. The cookie is very tender. I also don’t think these would be good for shipping. I keep them in an airtight container and bring them out 30 minutes before I want to serve. Enjoy!

      Reply

  8. Lori Hawco

    These are beautiful cookies! Your pictures make me want to make them. Just wondering if they freeze well and how long they can keep fresh?

    Reply

    • Tricia Buice

      Hi Lori. I don’t know if they will freeze. I’ve made them 3 times but never froze them. If you’re going to try, I would wait to fill them until they’re thawed. Kept in the refrigerator, they keep well for a week. Enjoy! They are so tasty and fun to make too. Have a wonderful holiday season and thanks!

      Reply

      • Mary Beth

        These look lovely. I was a bit confused by the direction that they should be a “swirled round, not a rosette”. Could you clarify, please?

      • Tricia Buice

        Hi Mary Beth. The swirled round will have a peak in the center, where a rosette is more depressed in the center, like a rose. The swirled round is higher in the center. Hope that helps!

  9. Sherrill

    I like the look I love raspberries (I used to have 10 acres of raspberries). Needless to say I’m looking forward to making and eating them.
    Thank you for this.
    Sherrill

    Reply

  10. Nancy Turman

    BAAAAKE! My daughter and I are currently binge watching the shows on Netflix, we love it!
    Cant’ wait to try one of Mary Berry’s own recipes.

    Reply

  12. Elena

    Tricia, so often I think how I wish we were closer so we could be baking buddies! These are amazing looking and I’m sure just as delicious to eat! I love seeing all your recipes and beautiful photographs. Merry Christmas to you, Ed and the kids!❤️

    Reply

    • Tricia Buice

      Thank you so much Elena! We miss you guys more than you’ll ever know. Easter has never been the same without your amazing dinners and fellowship. Merry Christmas to you and Mike!

      Reply

  19. sue | the view from great island

    5 stars
    What a stunning cookie, the texture looks just perfect! I’ll be making these for sure this season. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Tricia, thanks for all your amazing recipes!

    Reply