Viennese Whirls Recipe

I am loving summer, even if it is raining today. But when the weather isn't as great as always, I like to bake - so that's exactly what I did. Meet my Viennese Whirls. Funnily enough, I don't actually like these but my brother and dad do so I decided to make them. They were so quick and easy to make, so I may be making them again!

Just follow these super easy recipe and you'll have (around) 16 beautiful and very British looking biscuits. 

Ingredients: 

(For the biscuits)

- 250g/9oz very soft butter

- 50g/2oz icing sugar

- 250g/9oz plain flour

- 50g/2oz cornflour (did you ever play with this when you were little, it is so much fun)

- ½ tsp vanilla extract 

(For the filling)

- 100g/3½oz soft butter

- 200g/7oz icing sugar

- ½ tsp vanilla extract

- strawberry or raspberry jam

What to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5 and line a baking tray (or maybe two) with greaseproof paper.

2. Put the soft butter, icing sugar, plain flour, cornflour and vanilla extract in a mixer and blend until smooth.

3. Spoon the dough into a piping bag and use a large star nozzle. Pipe  rosettes of the dough on to the baking trays, spacing well apart. I made 30 of these but it depends what size you make them. 

4. Put the baking trays in the oven for 13-15 minutes or until pale golden-brown and firm. Cool on the baking tray for five minutes then move them onto a cooling rack. 

5. For the filling, put the butter in a bowl and sift the icing sugar on top. Add the vanilla extract and beat with a wooden spoon or an electric whisk until very light and smooth. Spoon into a clean piping bag, using a large star nozzle again. Put the jam in a bowl and stir until smooth if your jam is too chunky.

6. Put a little bit of jam onto the flat side of half of the biscuits and place jam-side up on the cooling rack. Pipe the buttercream icing onto the remaining biscuits and sandwich with the jam.

You could also sift icing sugar on the top for extra decoration.

This recipe makes about 16 complete whirls and look so pretty. I wasn't very good at making the rosettes but the biscuits still looked good once they came out of the oven. 

I really enjoyed making them, even though I don't like them! 

I hope you enjoy this recipe, it's a great and fast one but it is not the healthiest -350g butter overal! 

Lots of Love,

MaddyBea x

Birthday Present Idea

I struggle with birthday present ideas and normally just end up buying my friends makeup or bath stuff, which is nice but not very special. So, as my friend's birthday is a week on Saturday, two of my other friends and I decided to pull together for a present. Originally we were going to get one big present for the three of us, but as fifteen isn't a big birthday we decided to get lots of small things. So we did and I had the idea of putting the presents in a box smothered in photos of our friend and us.

I think this is a really meaningful and special present and I thought I'd share it with you all as present ideas can be sparse.

All you need is:

• a box - a shoebox is perfect

• scissors and glue 

• tons of photos

• patience!

It's quite self-explainitory really!

Little present ideas:

- A book

- Mascara

- Eyeliner pencil

- Bracelets

- A candle

- A mug

- Pencil case 

- Nail Varnish

- Bath Bomb

This did take a while, as I had to print off all the photos, cut them out and then stuck them on. But it was worth it, and I can't wait to give it to my friend.

I hope you're all having a lovely week,

Only three days till my summer holidays start, I can't wait

Lots of Love,

MaddyBea x