These biscuits are from my childhood. Because they are not too sweet, and had a delicate texture to them my mother would make them as they doubled decorated with chocolate for guests or left plain for the family as we ate them in record numbers.

Ingredients

• 250 grams butter, softened
• ¼ cup caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 cups standard or plain flour
• 100 grams dark chocolate, chopped

Method

1. Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla essence together until light and creamy.
2. Sift the flour and fold into the creamed mixture.
3. Fill a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle with the mixture and pipe into 5cm lengths. Alternatively roll teaspoonfuls into balls, place on a greased tray and flatten with a fork.
4. Bake at 180ºC for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are beginning to brown lightly. Transfer to a cake rack to cool.
5. Melt the chocolate and dip one end of the cold Viennese Biscuits into the chocolate and place on a cake rack to allow the chocolate to set. Keep in an airtight container.