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Viennese Whirls

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V is for Viennese and Vanilla

Viennese Whirls are buttery, melt-in-your-mouth sandwich cookies filled with vanilla buttercream and raspberry jam. These pretty piped cookies are a classic British treat and a delicious addition to the Alphabet Challenge.

What You'll Need

  • All-purpose flour

  • Cornstarch

  • Butter

  • Granulated sugar

  • Confectioners' sugar

  • Milk

  • Pure vanilla extract

  • Raspberry jam

How to Make Them

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper. Draw twelve 1 1/2-inch circles on each sheet, then flip the parchment over.
2. Whisk together the flour and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined.

3. Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe swirls inside the circles on the prepared baking sheets.
4. Bake two baking sheets at a time, keeping the third sheet chilled. Rotate the pans halfway through baking and bake for 19 to 22 minutes, until the bottoms are golden brown. Let the cookies cool completely.

5. Beat the confectioners' sugar, butter, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth to make the buttercream.
Spread a heaping teaspoon of buttercream onto the flat side of 18 cookies. Spoon a teaspoon of raspberry jam on the flat side of the remaining 18 cookies.
6. Top each with another cookie to make a sandwich.

FAQs

What piping tip should I use for Viennese Whirls?

Use a large open-star piping tip to create the cookies' signature swirls. A Wilton 1M piping tip is one option.

How do I get neat, even swirls?

Pipe each cookie in a continuous spiral, keeping the tip at a consistent distance from the baking sheet. Tracing circles on the parchment helps keep the cookies a similar size.

Can I make Viennese Whirls ahead of time?

Yes. Bake the cookies ahead of time and store them in an airtight container once completely cool. Fill them with buttercream and jam when you're ready to assemble them.

Why are my Viennese Whirls crumbly?

These cookies have a delicate texture, but the dough should still hold together when piped. Measure the ingredients accurately and avoid adding extra flour, which can make the dough too dry.

Can I use a different jam?

Yes. Raspberry jam is a classic filling, but you can use another jam if you prefer.

This recipe is part of our Alphabet Challenge series hosted by Wendy. We're working our way through the alphabet again this year, and you can follow along with my participating recipes here: Alphabet Challenge 2026. Scroll down to see what the other bloggers are sharing for the letter V.

Viennese Whirls

Viennese Whirls
Author: Jolene's Recipe Journal

Ingredients

For the cookies:
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 cups butter, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
For the Vanilla Buttercream
  • 1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
For the filling:
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons raspberry jam

Instructions

Make the cookies:
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper. Draw twelve 1 1/2-inch circles on each sheet and flip the parchment over.
  2. Whisk together the flour and cornstarch in a medium bowl.
  3. Beat the butter and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the flour mixture and mix on low until just combined.
  4. Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe swirls inside the circles on the prepared baking sheets.
  5. Bake two sheets at a time, keeping the third sheet chilled. Rotate the pans top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking. Bake for 19 to 22 minutes, until the bottoms are golden brown. Cool completely on the baking sheets, about 30 minutes. Repeat with the remaining sheet.
Make the buttercream:
  1. Beat the confectioners' sugar, butter, milk, and vanilla extract in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes.
Assemble the cookies:
  1. Spread 1 heaping teaspoon of buttercream onto the flat side of 18 cookies. Spread 1 teaspoon of raspberry jam onto the flat side of the remaining cookies.
  2. Sandwich the cookies together, gently pressing the flat sides together.

Notes

Adapted from https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/viennese-whirls-17315368

Recommended Products

Large Cake Decorating Tip Coupler

Wilton Disposable Pastry Bags

1M Open Star Tip Wilton

Viennese Whirls, raspberry jam cookies, buttercream sandwich cookies, British biscuits, piped butter cookies, vanilla buttercream, raspberry sandwich cookies
Dessert, cookies
British


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By Jolene Martinelli, Jolene's Recipe Journal

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