Brown Butter Viennese Whirls
Prep
20 mins
Cook
40 mins
Servings
8
Difficulty
Easy
These Brown Butter Viennese Whirls are my go to treat whenever I want something that looks fancy but doesn't require hours in the kitchen. With just an hour of your time from start to finish, you'll have elegant spiral cookies that taste far more complicated than they actually are. The star here is the brown butter, which adds such a rich, nutty depth that elevates these beyond ordinary shortbread. Butter is also packed with fat soluble vitamins like A and D that support your immune system and bone health. What I love most is how forgiving this recipe is, and the ingredients are probably already sitting in your pantry right now.
Ella x
Ingredients
- 400 gall-purpose flour
- 200 gcold unsalted butter
- 100 mlice water
- 150 ggranulated sugar
- 50 gkosher salt
- 20 gsea salt
- 200 gunsalted butter for brown butter
- 50 mlheavy cream
- 1vanilla extract
Detail level
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Tip: Make sure to grease the parchment paper with a small amount of butter.
- 2
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour and salt.
Tip: Use a whisk or a fork to get rid of any lumps.
- 3
Add cold butter to the flour mixture and use a pastry blender or your fingers to work the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Tip: Be careful not to overwork the dough.
- 4
Gradually add ice water, stirring with a fork until the dough comes together in a ball.
Tip: Don't overmix the dough.
- 5
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times until it becomes smooth and pliable.
Tip: Don't overknead.
- 6
Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball.
Tip: Make sure the balls are evenly sized.
- 7
Flatten each ball slightly into a disk shape.
Tip: Use a rolling pin to get the disks as uniform as possible.
- 8
Heat the unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it turns golden brown and smells nutty.
Tip: Stir the butter occasionally to prevent burning.
- 9
Remove the brown butter from the heat and stir in heavy cream and vanilla extract.
Tip: Let the brown butter cool slightly before using.
- 10
Place the dough disks on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch of space between each whirl.
Tip: Don't overcrowd the baking sheet.
- 11
Brush the tops of the whirls with the cooled brown butter mixture and sprinkle with granulated sugar and sea salt.
Tip: Be generous with the toppings.
- 12
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the whirls are golden brown.
Tip: Keep an eye on the whirls after 15 minutes.
- 13
Remove the whirls from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tip: Let the whirls cool completely before serving.
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