I can't believe it's 6 weeks since I started on the Patisserie and Confectionery course at Richmond College - where does the time go? In the first 5 weeks we tempered chocolate, made enriched doughs, fondant puddings, Tarte au citron, doughnuts and different varieties of bread. This week we were allowed 'free choice' to make any type of biscuit and I chose to make Viennese Whirls.
It's been years since I've made them and I'd forgotten how easy they are to make. It's also been years since I've eaten them and I'd forgotten how yummy they are too - buttery, crumbly and melt in the mouth. I last made them in secondary school during 'O' level Cookery lessons. I remember every week setting off from home on the school bus with twin sister Sue with ingredients stuffed into our gingham covered wicker baskets together with a tin to bring back our wares! The bus trip took half an hour and as soon as we got on the bus to go home we would devour whatever we had made. Mum and dad were ever hopeful there might be a crumb or two left but there rarely was!
My trusty 34th edition of the Be-Ro Home Recipes book, which we used every week in school, dates back to the mid 70's, is still in my collection and features Viennese Fingers and Rosettes. The recipe I used for this batch though was a more recent one from the Hairy Bikers on the BBC Food website.
Ingredients
250g very soft butter
50g icing sugar
250g plain flour
50g cornflour
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Method
Sieve the icing sugar, plain flour and cornflour into a bowl with the soft butter and vanilla
Mix together with a spoon first before whisking or blending to a smooth paste
Pipe into different shapes - swirls, fingers or double 'S' shapes onto baking paper
Bake for 12 - 15 minutes at 190, allow to cool on the tray for a couple of minutes
Transfer to a cooling rack
Sandwich together with butter icing and jam or dip in melted chocolate
Dust lightly with icing sugar
Over the last few weeks we've worked out the college is running on a very tight budget and we have resorted to bringing in some of our own ingredients, in a rucksack - not a wicker basket sadly! The payback is that we get to bring home the goodies we make every Tuesday evening and, as I now have a little more self-discipline, not everything I make gets eaten before I get home! I take a plastic box with me and my family and work colleagues are actually getting to taste my creations!
My trusty 34th edition of the Be-Ro Home Recipes book, which we used every week in school, dates back to the mid 70's, is still in my collection and features Viennese Fingers and Rosettes. The recipe I used for this batch though was a more recent one from the Hairy Bikers on the BBC Food website.
Ingredients
250g very soft butter
50g icing sugar
250g plain flour
50g cornflour
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Method
Sieve the icing sugar, plain flour and cornflour into a bowl with the soft butter and vanilla
Mix together with a spoon first before whisking or blending to a smooth paste
Pipe into different shapes - swirls, fingers or double 'S' shapes onto baking paper
Bake for 12 - 15 minutes at 190, allow to cool on the tray for a couple of minutes
Transfer to a cooling rack
Sandwich together with butter icing and jam or dip in melted chocolate
Dust lightly with icing sugar
Over the last few weeks we've worked out the college is running on a very tight budget and we have resorted to bringing in some of our own ingredients, in a rucksack - not a wicker basket sadly! The payback is that we get to bring home the goodies we make every Tuesday evening and, as I now have a little more self-discipline, not everything I make gets eaten before I get home! I take a plastic box with me and my family and work colleagues are actually getting to taste my creations!
