Classic buttery Viennese whirl biscuit recipe

Name: Classic buttery Viennese whirl biscuit recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 20 serving(s)
Ingredients: 175 g unsalted butter; 40 g icing sugar; 175 g plain flour; 40 g cornflour; 1 tbsp. vanilla extract

Deliciously crumbly and perfect with a cuppa.

By The GH Kitchen TeamUpdated: 23 May 2025

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best biscuit and cookie recipes viennese whirl biscuits

Good Housekeeping UK

These deliciously buttery biscuits are a classic for a reason. Whether you like yours plain, filled with buttercream or half dipped in chocolate, they're the perfect partner to an afternoon cup of tea.

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Yields:

20 serving(s)

Prep Time:

10 mins

Cook Time:

15 mins

Total Time:

25 mins

Ingredients

175 g unsalted butter
40 g icing sugar
175 g plain flour
40 g cornflour
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

Directions

1. Step 1
  Into a mixing bowl, add butter, icing sugar, plain flour, cornflour and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth. Chill mixture for 15min.
2. Step 2
  Prepare a piping bag with a large star nozzle and put in a jug to hold steady. Spoon biscuit mix into piping bag and twist top to secure bag and push mixture to bottom.
3. Step 3
  Line baking sheet with baking parchment. Make rounds by piping in a spiral shape, from centre outwards, to about 6.5cm in diameter. Or make fingers by piping in zigzags, about 10cm in length.
4. Step 4
  Bake at 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4 for 12-15min until biscuits look pale golden and feel firm. Leave to cool completely on tray.

If you like, you could dip your biscuits in a little melted chocolate. Once dipped, place onto lined baking sheets and leave to set at room temperature.

For a chocolatey twist, try our marbled Viennese whirl recipe, which you can then use to decorate our showstopper chocolate checkerboard cake.

If you like this, try our Viennese whirl topped mince pies.

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The GH Kitchen Team

The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor ⁠Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce ⁠Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time