A Great Consolation

These Viennese Shortbread or Sables Viennois are buttery and light, can be quickly bake and ready to eat in a short 30 minutes time. While there is no obvious Austrian connection to the name, I would like to imagine having an afternoon tea of Viennese Shortbread and Mozart.

Though the origin of Shortbread is Scotland, there are distinct differences in the ingredients and proportions used between Scottish and Viennese shortbread. In Viennese Shortbread, icing sugar is used and the proportion of butter is higher, thus resulting in finer and lighter texture.

Sables Viennois
Viennese Shortbread
Adapted from Laduree Sucre 


Ingredients

190g butter
1 pinch of fleur de sel
75g icing sugar
1 pinch of vanilla powder (1/4 tsp vanilla beans extract)
1 egg white
225g cake flour


Method

• Cut the butter into small pieces and put with salt in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Using a wooden spoon, soften until creamy. Remove from heat and whisk until smooth and pale.

• Add icing sugar, vanilla and the egg white gradually and mix well after each addition. Whisk for approx 2 minutes after adding the egg white.

• Sift the flour and add to the mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon until smooth and well combined.

• Transfer batter to a piping bag fitted with a star tip.

• Line a baking tray with parchment paper and pipe ribbons of batter in the shape of the letter Z.

• Place tray in oven for about 15 minutes, on 150C.

• Allow to cool completely and dust with icing sugar to serve.

This post is linked to Bake Along theme 'Viennese Shortbread' organised by Zoe from 

Bake for Happy Kids, Lena from Her Frozen Wings and Joyce from Kitchen Flavours.

It is a great consolation for me to remember that the Lord, to whom I had drawn near in humble and child-like faith, has suffered and died for me, and that He will look on me in love and compassion.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart