Chocolate-dipped Viennese fingers

1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees (fan) before baking. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (for a piping guide, use a pen to draw 7cm lines on the reverse of the paper).

2. Place the butter and icing sugar into a bowl and using an electric whisk beat until fully combined. Beat in the vanilla extract. Sieve together the flour, cornflour and baking powder, then mix in the sieved ingredients in 2-3 batches and continue to beat, until thoroughly mixed. The consistency should be smooth but not extremely stiff (only add milk if you think the dough needs loosening for piping).

3. Fill a piping bag fitted with a large star-shaped nozzle with the mixture (if the mixture does not flow, massage the bag gently). Pipe 10-12 fingers on the baking sheets allowing space between them (for good piping, aim directly downwards, squeeze the bag evenly and firmly). Refrigerate for 30 minutes (this will reduce spreading during baking). Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 8-10 minutes until just golden in colour (the baking time will depend on the size of the piping nozzle, so larger fingers will take longer in the oven). Cool on the baking tray for two minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool and harden.

4. For the chocolate-dipped tips, melt the chocolate in a small bowl (either gently in a microwave or over a bain marie). Take a cooled Viennese finger from the cooling rack and dunk one end deep into the melted chocolate with the patterned side tilting slightly towards the chocolate. Return to the wire rack and place in a cool place (not the fridge) until the chocolate has hardened. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.