Viennese Finger Biscuits (Raspberry Filled)

When I hear the words 'stop yourself' or 'relax', I invariably know they are being directed at me (no matter how many other people are in the room). I always hear them, but often behave in ways that make the sender of these messages think I am ignoring them. And truth be told, I sometimes am (I silently wonder when they would just give up and allow me to be me or sometimes I just allow my eyes to widen when I hear those words). Why I am sharing all of this with you? Because even though I have already made a myriad of holiday cookies and confections, I cannot seem to stop myself from making another one (well I really can but don't want to). And because I have convinced myself there is no such thing as 'too much' sugary or chocolately cookie bliss during the holidays (or I am just a glutton for punishment).

Quite possibly these Viennese Finger Biscuits will actually put you in such a state of bliss that you too will be thankful you ignored either those external or internal voices saying 'stop yourself'. As a bonus, there are actually five different ways of making these biscuits (otherwise known as cookies on this side of the Atlantic Ocean). They can be dipped in chocolate only, they can have a wonderful buttercream filling and be assembled like a sandwich cookie (then dipped or not dipped in chocolate), or they can have a layer of your favorite preserves to go along with the buttercream filling (then dipped or not dipped in chocolate). In other words, the possibilities in how you assemble these cookies are endless. Since I tend to skew to the too much end of the continuum, I decided to make them two ways: with buttercream filling and dipped in chocolate and with raspberry preserves, buttercream filling, and dipped in chocolate. And sometimes I like giving others a choice.

The idea of simplifying the holiday baking lasted less than 24 hours with the making of these cookies. While not hard to make at all (seriously), there are several steps in the assembly process. Of all of the cookies I have made this holiday season, this one by far is off the charts as far as taste and presentation goes. They are rich, buttery and chocolatey. They are rule of three cookies amplified. If cookies were a form of currency these would be Franklins.

The dough is made up of only five ingredients: unsalted butter, vanilla, confectionary sugar, all purpose flour and self-rising flour. The use of self rising flour eliminates the need for any other leaveners (i.e., baking powder).

With the exception of the vanilla, all of the dough ingredients are weighed (we are back to the Thomas Keller style of baking).  The more I bake cookies with weighed versus measured (in cups) ingredients, I  become more and more convinced that weighing ingredients make for a more consistent, more perfect cookie.

In a standing mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, the unsalted butter and confectionary sugar are beat until light and fluffy. After both flours are mixed in, the vanilla is added. When everything is all blended you end up with smooth, thick dough. Important Note: The quantity of ingredients in the dough will yield approximately one dozen cookies. I strongly urge you to double the dough recipe (the filling ingredients do not need to be increased). If using a pastry bag to form the cookies, divide the doubled dough in half  (once you make these cookies you will understand why).

I used a pastry bag to form the Viennese Finger Biscuits (which was more of a workout than I thought). I don't have a cookie press (and don't want one), but if you have one, you might want to consider using it (unless of course your have good hand strength and want to burn a few extra calories). Using a medium star tip, the dough is formed into an even number of 2 1/2 lengths. The cookies will be sandwiched together so it is important to make your cookies as uniform as possible.

The Viennese Finger Biscuits are baked in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven for approximately 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned on the bottom. Allow the cookies to remain on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack. Allow to cool to room temperature before spreading on the filling and/or preserves.

The buttercream filling for these cookies is made up of confectionary sugar, unsalted butter and vanilla. There will be enough filling for two batches of cookies. In addition to the buttercream filling you can also use some of your favorite preserves. My favorite is raspberry, but any berry preserve would work well. And for dipping the cookies I recommend using a dark chocolate.

Using an offset spatula or butter knife, carefully spread the buttercream filling on one side of a cookie. If you are making the buttercream and preserve variation, you will spread the preserves on the side of a second cookie. There is substance to these cookies, however, I urge you to be gentle when spreading on the buttercream. The last thing you want to do is break one of the cookies because you will end up with less finished cookies. 

Once you have decided which variation of the cookie you are making, you will bring two cookies together to form a sandwich (which is why it is important to have your dough lengths as uniform as possible).

Once the Viennese Finger Biscuits are assembled they are dipped in melted dark chocolate (milk chocolate doesn't seem to work here, but white chocolate would). The dipped cookies should be placed on a piece of parchment paper. Once the chocolate has set, transfer the cookies to a covered tin or serve immediately. During the holidays I often refrigerate my baked cookies and bring them to room temperature before serving. The refrigeration process seems to keep them fresher longer.

There are not enough words to describe how incredible these biscuits are, so I will simply say they are wicked (as in the good and not bad kind of wickedness). They are more than worth the time and effort that goes into making them. If there was ever a cookie to leave on the plate for the man in the red suit and white beard, then the Viennese Finger Biscuits would be the ones. You are bound to leave a lasting impression and pretty much guarantee he will be making an appearance next year. If you have someone in your life telling to you 'stop yourself' or 'relax', they will be eating their words once the take a bite of this cookie. 

Recipe

Viennese Finger Biscuits (Raspberry Filled) - (slight adaptation made to a recipe shared by Caroline Dooley, an Irish baker)
Makes 8 (good sized) sandwich cookies - Make smaller for a larger. yield

Updated December 2022

Ingredients
Dough (strongly recommend doubling this recipe as a single recipe yields only a dozen cookies)
15 Tablespoons (7 ounces/212g) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 ounces (58g) confectionary sugar
4 ounces (112g) self-rising flour
4 ounces (112g) all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Buttercream (not necessary to double the buttercream as there will be enough for two batches of biscuits)
6 Tablespoons (3 ounces/85g) unsalted butter, room temperature
6 ounces (174g) confectionary sugar
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla

Chocolate (If doubling the dough, you will need to double the amount of chocolate)
4 ounces (112g) dark chocolate (recommend the Ghiradelli dark melting chocolate wafers)

Preserves

4 ounces (112g) raspberry preserves

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a standing mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the all purpose, self-rising flours and salt until well blended. Beat in the vanilla.
4. Using a medium sized pastry bag with a medium to large star tip, pipe 2 1/2 inch lengths of dough.
5. Bake biscuits for approximately 15-18 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Let the biscuits remain on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes. Then transfer them to a cooling rack and allow to cool to room temperature.
6. To make the buttercream icing, beat the confectionary sugar, vanilla and unsalted butter until smooth and creamy. The icing should be room temperature to ensure ease of spreading on the biscuits.
7. Spread the buttercream icing on the bottom on one biscuit. Place an un-iced biscuit on top to create a sandwich.
8. If using preserves, very lightly spread your favorite preserve on the bottom of a plain biscuit. Bring the buttercream iced and preserved spread biscuits together to form a sandwich.
9. Melt dark chocolate over a double boiler. Dip one end of the biscuit into the melted chocolate. Place dipped biscuit on a baking pan or cutting board lined with parchment paper. Allow the chocolate to set.
10. Transfer finished biscuits to a covered tin (if not serving immediately) or arrange on a platter.

Over the course of the past 'first' year of saltedsugaredspiced.blogspot.com, I have shared a variety of cookie, brownie, bar and candy confections with you. In retrospect I showed my affinity for chocolate and sea salt and yet managed to share recipes where butter, sugar and nuts were the focal points. My list of personal favorites changes from time to time and season to season, so I thought it best for you to have the complete linked list rather than share only the 'Lynn favorite at the moment list'.

The holidays are busy enough, so to save you some time as you make your baking and gift giving decisions the linked list below prevents you from having to search through the blog to find them. Hopefully you can turn this 'gift of time' into time spent baking or relaxing (for those of you who know the concept)!

Amy's Shortbread Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookies with Seal Salt, No Nuts
Chocolate Covered Cashew Clusters
Chocolate Covered Oreos, Sea Salted
Chocolate Whoppers
Cinnamon Glazed Pecans
Coconut Balls aka Better than a Mounds Bar
Cowboy Cookies
Decadent Chocolate Brownies
Decadent Magic 8 Ingredient Bars Served Chilled
Fruit and Nut Chocolate Bark with Sea Salt
Irish Shortbread
Meltaways
Over the Top Rice Krispie Treats
Sea Salted Caramels
Sea Salted White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Blondies
Sugar Meringue Walnuts
Sugar Saucers
Sweet Dream Cookies
White Chocolate Dipped Ginger Molasses Cookies
White Chocolate Dipped Pistachio and Dried Cherry Cookies
White and Dark Chocolate Dipped Strawberries