My gluten free Viennese Whirls recipe - The Gluten Free Blogger (2024)

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There are a few recipes that get frequently requested - and gluten free Viennese Whirls are one of them! I'm excited to bring you this recipe, because these elegant biscuits are an absolute classic.

I spent many days in the kitchen getting this recipe right, and it's definitely one of my more fiddly bakes. However, if I can do it - so can you! I promise they're not too tricky.

My gluten free Viennese Whirls recipe - The Gluten Free Blogger (1)

Gluten free Viennese Whirls are absolute treat: two golden, buttery biscuits sandwiched with a jam-and-buttercream filling.

They just melt in your mouth and are so moreish - plus these gluten free Viennese Whirls are the perfect baking project for the weekend!

I vaguely remember them making Viennese Whirls on The Great British Bake Off a few years ago (cannot WAIT for this to return in August!) and I tell you, I bet they're all glad they weren't gluten free!

These certainly need to be handled with care, but it's worth it for the most buttery, delicious, melt-in-your-mouth biscuit ever! The biscuits are so light, it's like they're baked with fairy dust!

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Making the perfect gluten free Viennese Whirls

So what is the secret to the perfect gluten free Viennese Whirls? I've spent two whole days testing this recipe and I think I've cracked it! I first tried a 'normal' recipe, substituting for gluten free flour, but they just fell apart at the touch.

In fact, I barely had to look at them and they crumbled into dust! I find gluten free flour tends to provide a crumblier bake (which is why I use xantham gum in my bakes, as it replicates the texture of gluten) so I needed to make them slightly more robust.

In the end, I ended up adding more cornflour, and a tad more icing sugar, as the extra flour took some of the sweet flavour away. I only have a small oven so I baked mine on trays of 5-6 biscuits, which took about 6-7 minutes.

Basically as soon as they go golden, take them out! Undercook and they will crumble - overcook and they will burn.

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How to pipe your Viennese Whirls

A few tips for making these gluten free Viennese Whirls, before we start! Firstly, I find these best to pipe in the same way you would icing a cupcake.

That is, you want to do one swirl starting in the centre and working out - and then swirl back into the centre, so they're almost like a double layer? This will help to get the swirly look, otherwise I find they tend to flatten.

You'll want to use a large piping bag for the swirling - I used a re-useable one I bought from Sainsbury's - and a star-shaped nozzle. This will help to get the lovely swirl.

You can use the same bag and nozzle for the buttercream as well, to make life a little easier! And when you've baked the biscuits, let them cool on the tray completely before carefully moving them, as they will be fragile!

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My gluten free Viennese Whirls recipe

Ready, set, BAKE! It's time to get cracking on my gluten free Viennese Whirls recipe. These are best made and eaten on the same day. Because the biscuits are so light they will go a little soft if left for a few hours with the filling.

If you want to make these in advance of an event, I recommend you bake the biscuits beforehand but fill them just before serving.I love seeing it when you make my recipes, so don’t forget totag me on Instagramand use #theglutenfreeblogger if you give this a go!

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Gluten free Viennese Whirls

My gluten free Viennese Whirls recipe are so beautiful! A light, melt-in-your-mouth butter biscuit sandwich with a jam and buttercream filling. Who needs Mr Kipling, right!?

Ingredients

For the biscuits:

  • 200 g unsalted butter, (softened)
  • 65 g icing sugar
  • 175 g plain gluten free flour
  • 60 g cornflour
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp xanthan gum

For the filling:

  • 100 g unsalted butter
  • 180 g icing sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 8-10 tsp strawberry jam

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 180'C and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. Add the butter and icing sugar to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk for 3-4 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and beat again until combined.
  3. Sift in the flour, xanthan gum cornflour and baking powder. Fold into the butter and sugar mix until fully combined. You want quite a thick dough, but still pipe-able. Spoon the mixture into a large piping bag with a star nozzle.
  4. On the baking sheet, pipe 10 swirly circles. They should be approx 5cm in diameter with approx 3-4cm between them to allow for spreading. To pipe, start in the centre of the circle and swirl out, then swirl back into the middle so it resembles an iced cupcake-type shape.
  5. Bake in the oven for 7-8 minutes (I baked one at a time, if baking at the same time you may need to switch the trays in the oven half way through) until golden on top. Remove from the oven and cool completely on the trays.
  6. To make the filling: Beat the butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract for 2-3 minutes with an electric whisk until smooth. Spoon into a piping bag with star nozzle fitted.
  7. Gently take one biscuit and turn upside down. Spread 1 tsp of jam onto the biscuit, then pipe on the buttercream in a swirl. Place a second biscuit on top (swirl-side-up) and very gently press down to create your sandwich. Repeat until all the biscuits are filled.

Notes

  1. These are best eaten within 1-2 hours of being filled. If making in advance, make the biscuits and store in an airtight container, then fill just before serving.
  2. Biscuits will be very fragile - use a spatula or fish slice to help lift them from the baking sheet once completely cool.

Need some more gluten free baking inspiration?

Want to have a go at some of the other classic gluten free biscuit recipes on the blog? Give some of these other gluten free recipes a try! There are plenty to choose from – here are a couple to get you going:

  • Gluten free Wagon Wheels recipe
  • My gluten free Jammie Dodgers recipe
  • Gluten free Jaffa Cakes recipe
  • Easy gluten free peanut butter and jelly thumbprint cookies

If you do make this recipe please let me know! I’d love to see your photos using #theglutenfreeblogger,share them inmy Facebook groupor tag me onInstagram.And if you have any recipe suggestions, please let me know in the comments what you’d like to see next! Oh – anddon’t forget to sign up for my e-newsletterwhere you’ll know about all my latest posts and competitions first!

Like this recipe? Pin this recipe card below for later!

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My gluten free Viennese Whirls recipe - The Gluten Free Blogger (2024)

FAQs

Why are my Viennese whirls too crumbly? ›

Viennese Cookies

Flour - Plain (all-purpose flour) is used. Too much flour will make the cookies too dry and crumbly so weigh with digital scales for accuracy.

Do Viennese whirls contain egg? ›

Mary Berry's recipe for Viennese whirls differs from my mother's spritz cookie recipe in that it does not use eggs but does call for cornstarch in addition to flour, butter and powdered sugar. The addition of cornstarch makes the Viennese whirls very “short” — meaning crumbly and with a tender crumb.

What are gluten free biscuits made of? ›

These gluten-free biscuits are made with an all-purpose rice flour cup for cup blend. A cup for cup all-purpose gluten-free flour blend is one that already has xanthan gum it. Most gluten-free all-purpose flour blends have xanthan gum already in them. The xanthan gum helps replace the elasticity and texture of gluten.

What are Viennese whirls made of? ›

Viennese whirls
Viennese whirls with a creme filling and raspberry purée, made by Mr Kipling
TypeBiscuit
Main ingredientsShortbread, buttercream, jam
Media: Viennese whirls

Why are gluten-free biscuits crumbly? ›

Gluten-free baked goods have earned the reputation of being dry and gritty. That grit—that evil grit! —is the result of gluten-free flours that are often high in starches and rice flour, which take longer to absorb moisture than regular “gluten” flour.

How do you fix crumbly biscuit dough? ›

To avoid this, try using as little flour as possible while preparing to roll your dough. Dry – “Dry” or “Crumbly” dough is a product of over-mixing or using too much of any ingredient during the mixing process. This can be reversed by adding one to two tablespoons of liquid (water, milk or softened butter) to your mix.

Are Mr Kipling Viennese Whirls gluten free? ›

Is it Gluten Free? No. This product is not gluten free as it lists 1 ingredient that contains gluten and 2 ingredients that could contain gluten depending on the source.

What is the best piping nozzle for Viennese Whirls? ›

The Wilton 1M is the go-to piping tip. This perfectly sized star nozzle can easily decorate cupcakes of all sizes or add detailed borders to layered cakes. The star is also large enough to also pipe biscuits such as Viennese Whirls, or individual meringue nests.

What is the shelf life of Vienna whirls? ›

Viennesse whirl of sweet pastry sandwiched with jam and vanilla cream filling. Dipped in chocolate flavour coating to one side. 25 DAYS SHELF LIFE. Store in a cool dry place.

What products are surprisingly gluten-free? ›

Treats that are surprisingly gluten-free
  • Plain tortilla or potato chips: Keep in mind that seasoned chips may contain wheat starch.
  • Plain chocolate: Read ingredients as some chocolate bars contain wheat-based wafers.
  • Ice cream: Vanilla, chocolate and strawberry are safe bets. ...
  • French fries: Potatoes are gluten free.
Apr 13, 2023

Can celiacs eat gluten-free cookies? ›

Many gluten free cookies were also dry and quite frankly, tasteless. Finding genuine gluten free treats that tasted good was a luxury! Today, there is a greater choice of tasty & healthy gluten free cookies and gluten-free treats on the market for celiacs to enjoy.

Do Aldi sell gluten free biscuits? ›

At Aldi, we have a whole range of high quality ingredients that suit a whole range of special diets, so that you never have to compromise on flavour. Everything from simple grains like quinoa, bulgur wheat and lentils, to gluten-free cereals and biscuits.

Why are Viennese whirls so good? ›

Viennese whirls are made with a high-butter dough and this is what makes them incredibly rich. Every mouthful is buttery and so, so more-ish. What is this? The high amount of butter in these is what contributes to the short, crumbly, and tender texture.

What country are Viennese whirls from? ›

Even though Viennese whirls sound like they would originate from Austria, the truth is, they were created in England. They were however, inspired by Austrian biscuits and that's were the name comes from - an attempt to credit the inspiration behind the biscuit.

Why are Viennese whirls called that? ›

Viennese Whirls are actually not from Vienna or Austria (who have their own strong Christmas cookie tradition). Then are actually British and named this way because they resemble Austrian pastries. Typically Viennese Whirls are piped in a circle and joined together using jam.

What causes dry crumbly biscuits? ›

If your biscuits come out hard and crumbly, it's most likely because the dough was overworked during the kneading process. To prevent that, mix your dough just until it comes together. You should still see bits of butter in your dough.

Why are my biscuits dry and crumbly? ›

Fat aside, a common solution to crumbly biscuits is to cut back on the measured amount of dry ingredients. According to Quaker, you should be scooping flour gently with a spoon instead of sticking your measuring cup directly into the bag, which can lead to compacted mis-measurements.

Why do biscuits have a crumbly texture? ›

Shortbread-type biscuits rely on fat (eg butter) to give them their crumbly texture. The fat coats the flour particles, preventing them from absorbing moisture. This reduces gluten development in the flour, which would cause the dough to become elastic, ie stretchy.

Why is my chocolate biscuit cake crumbly? ›

You may like to check that your oven is running at the correct temperature with an oven thermometer and also postion the cake pans on the centre shelf of the oven. Too much leavening can also sometimes cause a crumbly cake so measure the baking powder and bicorbonate of soda carefully, using a 5ml measuring teaspoon.

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