Thursday, September 19, 2013

Viennese Whirls and a Retro Feeling - Wiener Spritzgebäck und ein Retro Gefühl


There are those grey and rainy days when you decide it is time to sort through all those “props” and treasures and take stock of what you have collected over time. When I decided to look through all my “accessories” as I call them, I came across these lovely vintage silver pastry tongs from my great-great-aunt. I remember that no one was really interested in these ”old things” and always felt an urge to hand them over to me. Lucky me – call me old-fashioned, I pretty much love all pretty vintage things like these darling silver pastry tongs.
Es gibt diese grauen Regentage, an denen man sich denkt, dass es mal wieder an der Zeit ist seine ganzen „Requisiten“ und Schätze zu sortieren und eine Bestandsaufnahme zu machen, vom dem was sich im Laufe der Zeit so angesammelt hat und man alles so hortet. Als ich beschloss, meine „Accessoires“, wie ich sie nenne, mal wieder durchzusehen, stieß ich auf diese schöne alte silberne Gebäck-Zange von meiner Ur- Großtante. Ich erinnere mich, dass niemand jemals wirklich an diesen "alten Dinge" interessiert war und immer das Gefühl hatte, mir diese etwas ungeliebten Dingen zu überlassen. Was für ein Glück – man kann mich ruhig altmodisch nennen, ich liebe so ziemlich alle hübschen alten Sachen wie diese Gebäckzange.




So, I am going to indulge a bit in my present retro feeling with a classic European cookie treat today. These pretty delicious cookies are called Viennese Whirls, they are made from a buttery shortbread and can be either piped into rosettes and filled with vanilla buttercream and some fruity jam….
Also, werde ich mal ein bisschen in meinem gegenwärtigen Retro-Gefühl schwelgen und ein klassisches europäisches Gebäck backen. Diese leckeren Kekse heißen Wiener Spritzgebäck. Sie werden aus einem buttrigen Mürbeteig gemacht und man kann entweder Rosetten backen, anschließend mit einer leckeren Vanille-Buttercreme und fruchtiger Konfitüre füllen...




…or you can choose to pipe them into lovely  big swirls and dip them into dark chocolate. Both varieties taste absolutely delicious and both look very pretty. And since I could not really decide which "look" I like the best,  I decided to double the recipe and prepare both kinds.
....oder man kann größere Kekse machen, die man nach dem Backen in dunkle Schokolade taucht. Beide Varianten sehen ganz wunderbar aus und schmecken ebenso toll. Da ich mich nicht entscheiden konnte welche mir besser gefallen, habe ich einfach mal das Rezept verdoppelt und beide Sorten gemacht.




While these cookies look very fancy, they are fairly easy to make. And if you are German or lived in  another European country, you are most likely familiar with these buttery treats, more probably than not the store-bought variety though. If that is the case, I highly recommend having a go at making them – they taste, on the one hand, just like you remember them, but they also taste so much better than what you find in stores from various companies. They are also fun to give as gifts or serve to your guests alongside a cup of tea – I could not help it but had to set the table using my favorite vintage tea set.
Obwohl diese Kekse aussehen, als ob sie schwierig zu backen wären, sind sie ziemlich einfach herzustellen. Ist man in Deutschland aufgewachsen, kennt man ebendieses Gebäck sicher sehr gut – allerdings meist die gekaufte Variante. Dann kann ich nur empfehlen, diese Kekse einmal selber zu backen – einerseits erinnern die Kekse an Früher, weshalb man kann unweigerlich in seinen Retro-Gedanken schwelgen kann. Andererseits schmeckt selbst gebackenes Spritzgebäck so viel besser als gekauftes. Es ist auch schön, die Kekse als Geschenk zu backen oder lieben Gästen zusammen mit einer Tasse Tee anzubieten – ich konnte nicht widerstehen und habe den Tisch mit meinem altem Teeservice bestückt.




I liked the look of these Viennese Whirls as they are, but it is traditional to dust them with icing sugar and I realized that a light dusting of powdered sugar will help to highlight the pretty swirly shape of the cookies. Whether you choose to serve them dusted or au naturel they look very elegant on a plate served with tea.
Eigentlich mag ich das Wiener Spritzgebäck auch ohne Füllung oder Schokolade, aber wenn man sie nach dem Backen mit Puderzucker bestreut, kommt die hübsche Form umso besser zur Geltung. Ob man sie mit Puderzucker bestreut oder „au naturel“ lässt, auf einem hübschen Teller serviert sehen sie immer sehr elegant aus.




Viennese Whirls

Ingredients for the Cookie Dough
(makes about 40 small ones or 16 to 20 large swirls)
  • 250 grams (9 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 50 grams (2 ounces) icing sugar
  • 250 grams (9 ounces) plain wheat flour
  • 50 grams (2 ounces) corn flour
  • a pinch of fine sea salt
  • the scraped seeds from ½ a vanilla bean or ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

For the filling
(the filling is enough for the entire batch of cookies)
  • 100 grams (3½ onces) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 200 grams (7 ounces) icing sugar, sifted
  • the scraped seeds from one vanilla pod or ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 75 grams (3 ounces) seedless raspberry jam (or other jam of your choice)

OR

For the Icing
  • 300 grams dark chocolate 70 % cacao (the chocolate is enough for the entire batch of cookies)
Wiener Spritzgebäck

Zutaten für die Kekse
(ergibt zirka 40 kleine Kekse oder 16 bis 20 große Kekse)
  • 250 Gramm ungesalzene Butter, Zimmertemperatur
  • 50 Gramm Puderzucker
  • 250 Gramm Weizenmehl
  • 50 Gramm Maismehl
  • eine Prise feines Meersalz
  • die ausgekratzten Samen einer ½ Vanilleschote oder ½ TL Vanille-Extrakt

Für die Füllung
(die Füllung reicht für ein gesamtes Rezept)
  • 100 Gramm ungesalzene Butter, Raumtemperatur
  • 200 Gramm Puderzucker, gesiebt
  • die ausgekratzten Samen einer ½ Vanilleschote oder ½ TL Vanille-Extrakt
  • 75 Gramm  Himbeerkonfitüre (kernlos) oder eine andere Konfitüre Ihrer Wahl

ODER

Für die Dekoration mit Schokolade
  • 300 Gramm dunkle Schokolade, 70 % Kakao (die Schokolade reicht für ein ganzes Rezept)




Preparation of the Cookies
  1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius (375 degrees Fahrenheit).
  2. Line two baking sheets with greaseproof paper or use baking mats (such as Silpat).
  3. In a large bowl, mix together the butter, icing sugar, plain flour, corn flour, salt and vanilla seeds (or extract) until smooth. You may need to scrape the mixture down a couple of times with a rubber spatula. NOTE: the dough will be soft.
  4. Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large star-shaped nozzle.
  5. Pipe out rosettes of the dough on the baking sheets that they will be baked on making sure to space them well apart (they will expand while baking). You should aim for about 40 rosettes or 16 to 20 large whirls.
  6. Bake the cookies in the center of the oven for 13-15 minutes or until light golden-colored and firm.
  7. Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheet for five minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool to room temperature.
  8. Repeat with the remaining dough to make about 36 to 40 cookies.
Zubereitung der Cookies
  1. Den Backofen auf 190 Grad Celsius vorheizen.
  2. Zwei Backbleche mit Backpapier oder Backmatten (z. B. Silpat) auslegen.
  3. In einer großen Schüssel Butter, Puderzucker, Zucker, Mehl, Maismehl, Salz und Vanillesamen (Vanille-Extrakt) glatt rühren. Eventuell den Teig mit Hilfe einer Teigspachtel einige Male vom Rand der Rührschüssel zurück in die Mischung geben. Hinweis: der Teig wird weich sein.
  4. Den Teig in einen Spritzbeutel und mit einer großen sternförmigen Garniertülle füllen.
  5. Rosetten auf ein Backblech spritzen – dabei Abstand zwischen den Keksen lassen, da diese beim Backen ein wenig aufgehen. Der Teig sollte für etwa 40 Rosetten oder 16 bis 20 große Kekse reichen.
  6. Die Kekse in der Mitte des Ofens, 13-15 Minuten backen oder bis sie eine leichte goldene Farbe haben.
  7. Aus dem Ofen nehmen und auf dem Backblech zirka 5 Minuten abkühlen lassen, dann auf Kuchenrost legen und ganz auskühlen lassen.
  8. Mit dem restlichen Teig ebenso verfahren.




For the Buttercream and Jam Version
  1. If you are using seedless jam, you can skip this step - Prepare the jam and warm it in a saucepan until just boiling, then pass through a sieve to remove the seeds. Discard the seeds, and leave the sieved jam to cool until thick.
  2. Make the filling and beat the butter, icing sugar and vanilla until smooth and pale. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large star-shaped nozzle.
  3. Assemble the Viennese whirls and take one biscuit as a base, add some jam, then pipe a generous amount of filling. Top with another biscuit. Do the same until all the biscuits have been used (you might have some jam and buttercream left over).
  4. Put on a serving plate and dust with sifted icing sugar.
Für die Buttercreme und Konfitüre -Version
  1. Wenn man kernlose Konfitüre verwendet, kann man sich diesen Schritt sparen: die Konfitüre in einem Topf erwärmen, durch ein Sieb passieren und dann wieder erkalten lassen.
  2. Für die Füllung die Butter, Puderzucker und Vanillesamen (Vanille-Extrakt) glatt rühren. In einen Spritzbeutel mit einer großen sternförmigen Garniertülle füllen. 
  3. Zum Zusammensetzen der Kekse jeweils ein Keks als Basis zu nehmen, etwas Konfitüre darauf streichen, dann großzügig die Buttercreme Füllung auf ein zweites Kekse spritzen, die beiden Kekse zusammen setzen. Mit den übrigen Keksen ebenso verfahren (es bleibt möglicherweise ein wenig Konfitüre und Buttercreme übrig). 
  4. Die Kekse vor dem Servieren eventuell mit Puderzucker bestreuen.




For the Chocolate Version
  1. Melt the chocolate and dip one half of the cooled cookies into it to coat.
  2. Carefully shake off some of the excess chocolate and place the cookies back onto the non-stick backing mat or lightly greased baking parchment. Leave the chocolate to set completely to avoid mess. Note: These cookies keep up to a week in an airtight cookie box.
Für die Schokoladen -Version
  1. Die Schokolade schmelzen und eine Hälfte der abgekühlten Kekse hinein tauchen.
  2. Sorgfältig die überschüssige Schokolade abschütteln und die Kekse wieder auf die Backmatte oder Pergamentpapier legen bis die Schokolade wieder fest geworden ist. Tipp: Die Kekse halten sich eine Woche in einer luftdichten Keksdose.




These are fun cookies to make, when piping them just scrape any less than perfect cookies back into the piping bag and keep going, and pipe again. They also taste quite decadent, the cookies are very buttery with an unbeatable vanilla flavor. Using corn flour in the mixture makes them extra-short and crumbly, which goes fantastically well with the rich buttercream filling and fruity raspberry jam or the chocolate icing.
Man muss auch keinesfalls ein Experte für Spritzgebäck sein, sie sehen immer toll aus wenn sie fertig gebacken und dekoriert und/oder gefüllt sind. Es macht schon Spaß so ein Spritzgebäck zu Hause zu backen und falls die ersten Kekse nicht gelingen wollen, einfach den Teig wieder in den Spritzbeutel geben und noch mal versuchen. Diese Kekse schmecken aber nicht nur wundervoll nach Butter und Vanille, dass Maismehl macht sie auch noch angenehm mürbe, was wiederum ganz unglaublich gut mit der dunklen Schokolade und der Vanille-Buttercreme und fruchtigen Konfitüre-Füllung harmoniert.




There is no reason to wait until you either find some vintage silver pastry tongs amongst your collected treasures or receive some as a gift, or have a retro kind of day to try out this recipe for these blissful Viennese Whirls!
Man muss nicht unbedingt warten bis man eine alte silberne Gebäckzange findet oder geschenkt bekommt, oder einen ein Retro-Gefühl überkommt, um dieses wunderbar leckere Wiener Spritzgebäck zu backen!


41 comments:

  1. Love your antique pastry tongs, Andrea! And the cookies are simply gorgeous!

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    1. When I made these cookies, I thought that you might like them, dear Kathy! And those tongs - well, I believe that my great-great-aunt would be happy to know that they are featured in these pictures with buttery homemade cookies!

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  2. The antique tongs are beautiful. I love these cookies especially the chocolate ones.

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    1. Geraldine, once in a while I indulge a bit and feature some of my antique things that I have managed to collect over the years! The chocolate version is indeed delicious, especially when you dunk the cookies in a cup of tea!

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  3. Mmm.. buttery goodness! They look fabulous - love the tongs.

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    1. Cathleen, those tongs are part of my treasures - I would not want to part with them but I never use them as often as I should. And, yes, these cookies are buttery goodnees - no doubt about that!

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  4. Yummy cookies!! They look wonderful!

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    1. Thanks very much, you two! Nice to read that you enjoy these buttery treats!

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  5. Love the tongs, Andrea doll. I get sentimental about things like that, too!
    Never knew the name of these cookies, but they're very common here in our li'l town (Armenians must love 'me!)
    Can't wait to bake my own, thanks to you. oxo

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    1. Colette, the tongs are fun to use - when I took the pictures for this post and put together the recipe, it seemed like the kind of day that calls for some major retro feelings, dark and grey and somewhat gloomy. So what better way than to cheer up everyone than be baking these pretty cookies and brighten up their day?!

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  6. I'm in love with those cookies! They both look lovely, but I'm really drawn to the jam-filled ones. And the tongs are a perfect touch.

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    1. Beth, what a nice comment - these cookies are really pretty and the best thing is that they do not really take a long time to bake - a piping bag can be such an amazing tool to use.

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  7. I'm on my way over for these little sweet treats.

    See you in about 10 hours! XXxxxx

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    1. Kim, I am waiting with a tray of fresh cookies and a nice pot of tea! Thanks for the darling comment!

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  8. what a delicious meal, i’m totally in envy of that lunch right now

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    1. Well, I guess, you could enjoy these for lunch, actaully, come to think of it, why not?! Thanks for stopping by!

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  9. I love Viennese Whirls, they melt in your mouth with a lovely buttery finish. Yours look great Andrea! I couldn't choose between the jam filling or the chocolate dipped ones so I'd have one of each :)

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    1. Laura, being from the UK, I am sure that you know these Viennese Whirls rather well. It is so nice to be able to re-create some childhood sweet treats later on in life and being able to marvel at how wonderful these treats can taste when you make them yourself at home using the best of ingredients that you can afford.

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  10. What a pretty little cookies,
    I wish I could make mine so perfect as yours :)
    Have a nice weekend!

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    1. How nice that you like these cookies - I wonder whether you can also find them in Portugal? Thanks for stopping by!
      Bom fim de semana!

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  11. What a beautiful job you have done with these - simply beautiful - now I want to make them too!
    Mary x

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    1. Thank you, Mary - you must be familiar with these cookies, I am sure, I was told that they are quite popular in the UK - hope all is well with you and the girls!

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  12. Everytime I come to your blog, and especially because you write in German, I feel like answering in German, but I am aware that my vocabulary is way too limited in comparison to my English... anyway, I want to give it a try! Maybe next week when I arrive in München and have the opportunity to spice up my German writting skills!
    Lucky that you got to have this antique silverware, gives your pictures of this wonders a perfect touch! We don't have almost any old beauty around here, because my mom isn't very fond of them...
    This cookies are beautiful and seem so easy to make! I think I will make them for my little "see you later Portugal" party on Saturday, but I'm afraid they won't look as sttuning as yours! Here in Portugal we can also find this cookies in the supermarkets, and they also sell them in some bakeries and pastry or cake shops :)
    Gutes Wochenende!

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    1. Inês, you are such a kind person - loving all your thoughtful comments! I certainly hope that my compatriots in Munich will treat you in the best and most kind way possible! I am sure that you will love living in Munich, it is amazing there and the food is wonderful too, so very different probably from what you are used to from lovely Portugal! My dear, make those cookies, they are incredibly easy to bake and as long as you use a sturdy piping bag with a large star-shaped tip, you will be all set - no need to decorate them either or make a filling, a dusting with confectioners´ sugar will suffice!

      Enjoy your "see you later, Portugal" party, and all the very best for a terrific start in Bavaria!!!

      P.S.: Very much looking forward to your comments in my mother tongue!

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  13. Oh, my! Andrea - these are so beautiful and I really love the pastry tongs! I, too, love vintage pieces that have very specific uses - berry spoons, sauce spoons, asparagus tongs and the like. I can almost taste these cookies now - how perfectly tender they are as you bite into them. I need - yes, NEED - to get a decent pastry bag with large tips. I also need the very small ones, too. Thank you for sharing this - what a treat it would be to have tea with you! ~ David

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    1. P.S. - my copy of River Cottage Everyday Veg arrived yesterday! Finally! I now know why it took so long - it came form England! Maybe when we return form Italy we can plan a co-post for November?

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    2. Dear David, I have noticed that we share yet another, may I call it "passion" for those spoons and forks and tongs with specific uses - so, when I finished this post the other day, I rushed into my favorite store that carries these vintage things because I had seen two similar pastry tongs on display there, alas, they were sold a day before I went there but I will keep my eyes open for another set - it will find its way to Tuscon then!

      And a big "hooray" that the book has finally arrived and a big "yes" to co-posting in November! I can´t wait! How do you like the book so far? - Andrea

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  14. These are one of my favourite biscuits, I remember we had to make these in class under the tuition of our Swiss Pastry Chef, we made hundreds in all sorts of different shapes. Each design had to be uniform in size but my piping skills were a bit lacking to say the least so mine all looked a bit different - they tasted good though! I love the silver tongs very elegant..

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    1. Karen, those siver tongs add a nice touch whenever I put them on the table and they remind me of my great-great-aunt, wnhich is also nice. I am sure that you piped hundreds of these cookies during your classes to become a professional pastry chef - you know, of course, that "practice makes perfect" and I am sure your cookies were fabulous!

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  15. SUCH ADORABLE PASTRIES AND BEAUTIFUL WAY OF USING THOSE LOVELY ANTIQUE TONGS...AREN'T SUCH VINTAGE GIFTS REAL TREASURES...THEY FILL US WITH SWEET MEMORIES AND HAPPINESS...PERFECT VIENNESE SWIRLS....THERE IS SO MUCH INSPIRATION IN EVERY RECIPE ON YOUR BLOG...WE LOVE LEARNING FROM THEM,THANKS FOR THE INSPIRATION OUR FRIEND...HAVE A BEAUTIFUL DAY!!! :-)

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    1. Kumar, thank you for your wonderful comment - always appreciate your input and thoughts! It makes me very happy to read that you enjoy my blog, the pictures and the recipes, dear Kumar!

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  16. Oh my goodness Andrea, you've brought back some fun memories for me. I worked on summer in Sweden in a wonderful restaurant on the sea. I was the dishwasher and spent all day in the kitchen. They kept the "spritz" cookies in a large container right near where I worked everyday. I would help myself quire frequently as they were buttery, crisp and fantastic. I think I put on a few pounds that summer from the spritz cookies alone! These are even more dangerous with that delicious sounding filling! They sound quite hopelessly irresistible!

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    1. Chris, now, not much could make me happier than evoking some very lovley food memories!!! Thanks for the terrific comment - you certainly made my day!

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  17. These cookies look incredible! I can almost taste them.

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    1. Ashel, thanks my dear, glad you approve of these wonderful little afternoon treats!

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  18. mmmmmhhhh.... the viennese whirls filled with jam look incredible!!! I never had them with jam before, what a great idea!! Would love to have one of those beauties with a nice cup of hot tea... *dream* :) Have a wondeful week dear Andrea!
    xox Amy

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    1. Amy, thanks for the lovely comment - I am sure that you would enjoy one or two of these jam & vanilla buttercream-filled Viennese Whirls!
      Have a good week, my dear, hope the weather in CH is better than here!

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  19. Hi Andrea. I don't know what I'm more enamored with...the cookies or the beautiful silver. I, like you, am a lover of all things vintage. I have been amassing the old wares of many family members. Thank you for sharing. What a delicious way to end my weekend and start my week.

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    1. Monet, that is certainly a passion that we share - beautiful vintage items and somewhat "nostalgic" recipes - cannot decide on which ones I like better either, dear friend!

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  20. Your pastry tong is a treasure!!! Gorgeous, and perfect for your beautiful Viennese Whirls. Every time I visit your blog, my desire to visit Europe just increase more and more!

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    1. Nami, oh, how wonderful! If my posts inspire you to travel to EU, I shall keep on posting! Wouldn´t that be nice?!

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