Viennese Biscuits

Ingredients

For the biscuit batter

  • 200g unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes
  • 50g icing sugar, sifted
  • 200g plain flour, sifted
  • 1 tsp baking powder, sifted
  • ½ tsp cornflour, sifted

For the butter cream filling

  • 130g unsalted butter, softened and cut into small cubes
  • 1 tsp milk
  • 325g icing sugar, sifted
  • your choice of 4 food colourings
  • 1 tsp milk
  • Serve with a cup of coffee or tea

Method

  1. To make the biscuit batter, preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan160°C/Gas Mark 4. Line 2 baking trays with baking parchment.

  2. Beat the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl, with an electric hand held beater until light and fluffy, this will take 3-5 minutes. Fold in the flour, baking powder and cornflour.

  3. Fill a piping bag fitted with a 1cm star nozzle with the batter. Fold the top of the bag. Pipe 8 x 5cm-6cm circles on each baking tray, allow space between each biscuit as they will spread during cooking. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Swap the trays around half way during the cooking time.

  4. Cool on the baking tray then transfer to a cooling rack.

  5. Meanwhile, to make the butter cream, place the butter, milk and half the icing sugar in a large bowl and beat with a large metal spoon until smooth. Mix in the remaining icing sugar.

  6. Divide the butter icing between 4 separate bowls. Colour each one to your colour liking. Spoon one of the colours into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm star nozzle. Fold the top of the bag. Pipe swirls of icing on the flat side of a biscuit. Sandwich together with a flat sided non iced biscuit. Repeat with a second biscuit. Repeat the above process with the remaining butter icings.

Make With McDougalls Plain Flour

McDougalls Plain Flour