Viennese Fudge Recipes

VIENNESE WHIRLS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment. Put the butter and icing sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric hand whisk for about 5 mins until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and beat again until fully incorporated.
• Sift in the flour, cornflour and baking powder, and fold into the mixture using a spatula until combined (the dough should have a tacky consistency). Spoon the dough into a piping bag fitted with a large star-shaped nozzle. If all the mixture doesn't fit, do it in 2 batches.
• Pipe swirly circles 5cm diameter onto 2 baking sheets making sure there are 3cm spaces between each swirl.
• Bake for 10-12 mins, swapping the trays over halfway through the cooking time so the biscuits are evenly baked, until pale golden and cooked through. Leave to cool on the baking sheets for a few mins, then transfer to wire racks.
• While the biscuits cool, make the filling. Put the softened butter in a large mixing bowl and add the icing sugar. Stir together initially with a wooden spoon then switch to electric beaters or a whisk to get the buttercream fluffy and smooth. Add the vanilla extract and beat once more to combine. Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag and snip off the end.
• Turn the biscuits over so their flat side is facing up then pipe buttercream over half of the biscuits and spread a little jam on the rest. Sandwich a jam covered biscuit together with a buttercream one and repeat until all the biscuits are used up.

VIENNESE CRESCENTS

Steps:

• Cream the butter and add the sugar and vanilla and beat to fluffy. Add the flour and nuts and mix in. Chill the dough for at least one hour. The more it's chilled the less it spreads during baking.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Shape the dough into tiny crescents using 1 teaspoon of dough for each cookie. Place them on an ungreased sheet pan in rows, leaving 1 inch in between for spreading and bake until golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes.
• Let cool 5 minutes. Dredge them in confectioners' sugar.

VIENNESE FUDGE

Steps:

• Line an 8-in. square pan with foil and butter the foil with 1 teaspoon butter; set aside. In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, milk, salt and remaining butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for 6 minutes., Remove from the heat; stir in marshmallows until melted. Add chocolate chips and stir until melted. Stir in vanilla and nuts. Pour into prepared pan. Let stand at room temperature until cool., Using foil, lift fudge out of pan; cut into 1-in. squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

DIVINITY FUDGE

Steps:

• Mix sugar, white corn syrup, water, and salt in a saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Then boil to 265°F/130°C on a candy thermometer without stirring. If you don't have a candy thermometer, test the temperature by dropping a little bit of mixture into cold water - a hard, almost brittle ball should form.
• Beat the egg whites stiff and pour the hot syrup over them, all the while beating with a mixer. Beat until the mixture loses its glaze, and a small amount dropped from a spoon keeps its shape. Add the nuts and the vanilla.
• Put the mixture into a greased 9x9x2-inch (23 x 23 x 5 cm) pan, let it cool, and then cut into squares. Alternatively, drop the mixture using a spoon onto waxed paper. Store the fudge in tins.