Pistachio and Orange Viennese Whirls
- 215g unsalted butter, very soft
- 2.5g sea salt
- 80g icing sugar
- 2g orange zest
- 35g egg whites
- 240g plain flour
- 15g corn flour
- 200g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, chopped
- 10g vegetable oil
- Crushed pistachios, to decorate
- You’ll need
- Stand mixer, with the paddle attachment
- Baking tray
- 2× silicone baking mats
- Piping bag with a 4B star tip nozzle
Preheat the oven to 160C.
Into a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the butter and salt. Beat it on medium speed for one minute. Add in the sugar, along with the orange zest. Beat the mixture, pausing to scrape down the sides as needed, on a medium speed for two minutes. Scrape down the bowl and pour in the egg whites. Mix it on medium speed. It won’t pull together into a smooth mixture, so don’t panic.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and cornflour, then sift this over the stand mixer bowl. Mix on low speed until it pulls together into a dough.
Add the dough into a piping bag fitted with a 4B star tip nozzle. If the dough is too cold it can be difficult to pipe, so use your hands to soften it inside the piping bag if needed. Onto a baking tray lined with a silicone mat, pipe tight zigzag shapes, about 3.8cm in width.
Place the tray into the oven, and bake the biscuits for 25–30 minutes, or until they are lightly golden around the edges. Remove them from the oven and cool to room temperature.
Add the chocolate and oil to a medium bowl. Place this over a pot of gently simmering water on a medium heat, and continue to stir until completely melted. Pour this into a narrow container and let it cool for a few minutes.
Take a cooled biscuit and dunk one half into the chocolate. Let the excess drip off and place it onto a baking tray lined with a silicone mat.
Sprinkle crushed pistachio onto the chocolate edge and repeat for the remaining biscuits. Place the biscuits into the fridge for a few minutes to set the chocolate, then remove and serve at room temperature.
