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Last Updated on June 17, 2025 by becky
A recipe for homemade party ring biscuits. Featuring a crunchy vanilla biscuit and sweet, vibrantly colored icing, these ring-shaped iced party rings look just like the classic biscuits sold in British supermarkets.
Why Make These Homemade Party Ring Biscuits?
Not long after relocating to the UK to pursue my pastry studies at Le Cordon Bleu London, I discovered (and developed an affinity for!) iconic tea-time biscuits like custard creams, pink wafers, Jammie Dodgers, malted milk, and bourbon biscuits. These days I always keep plenty of biscuits in my kitchen cabinet, and Party Rings are almost always amongst the choices.
Manufactured by Fox’s Biscuits, a British baking company based in West Yorkshire, England, you’ll recognize Party Rings by their distinctive ring shape and pastel pink, white, yellow, and purple icing. (In 2025, Fox’s introduced several spinoffs: Under the Sea Minis (fish-shaped biscuits), strawberry Party Rings, and Chocolate Minis.) Sold in bright blue packaging, these colorful, crunchy cookies have been a staple at children’s parties since 1983, although plenty of adults also love them with their daily cuppa.
This homemade version celebrates the vanilla flavor, ring shape, and colorful icing decoration of the classic Party Ring. They really do look and taste just like the the real thing!
Ingredients for Making Homemade Party Rings
To make your own party ring biscuits, start by gathering the following ingredients:
- All Purpose Flour – You’ll need 192 grams (1 1/2 cups) of all purpose flour, or plain flour if you’re in the UK.
- Caster Sugar – While granulated sugar works in many of my recipes, for these biscuits I recommend using caster sugar (superfine sugar) because the finer granules produce a smooth, easy-to-roll dough.
- Cornflour – Cornflour (or cornstarch, in some parts of the US) is a tasteless, powdery white substance. It is often used as a thickening agent (like in my mixed berry compote) but in this cookie dough, cornflour creates a softer, slightly chewier biscuit.

- Kosher Salt – I test my recipes with Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
- Unsalted Butter – For this recipe, you’ll add cold, cubed butter to the dry ingredients via the “rubbing in” method, mixing everything together with your fingertips until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Do not use softened butter.
- Egg – To make the dough you’ll need 1 medium (45-50 gram) egg, at room temperature.
- Vanilla Extract – Opt for a good-quality vanilla extract from a brand like Nielsen-Massey or Taylor & Colledge.
Making the Icing for Iced Party Rings
Whether store bought or homemade, the best part of party rings is always the icing. To make it, you’ll need:
- Confectioner’s Sugar – Confectioner’s sugar (or icing sugar in the UK) forms the base for the sweet, smooth icing.
- Corn Syrup – You’ll need corn syrup (I like Golden Barrel), light Karo syrup, or liquid glucose to create the slightly shiny finish.
- Whole Milk – I tested the icing with whole milk, but feel free to substitute skimmed, semi skimmed, or plant milk.

- Vanilla Bean Paste – Nielsen-Massey makes my go-to vanilla bean paste. If you don’t have vanilla bean paste, you can substitute the scrapings of 1 vanilla pod. Vanilla extract will also work in a pinch.
- Gel Food Coloring – I used Chefmaster’s Neon Brites collection, and tinted my icing more vibrantly than the OG Party Rings. You can use less food coloring if you prefer a more pastel look.
Icing the Cookies
Use your hand to dunk each cookie, top side down, into the bowl of icing. Gently move the cookie from side-to-side to evenly distribute the icing, or allow it to rest in the bowl for a few seconds.
Slowly pull upward, holding the cookie above the icing for a few seconds and allowing the excess to drip back into the bowl.
Place each dipped cookie on a wire rack. (Don’t forget to position your rack over a sheet of parchment to catch the drips!) Repeat until you’ve coated all of the biscuits.
To add the decorative zigzags, scoop the remaining colored icings into disposable piping bags and pipe a freeform pattern atop the top of each biscuit.
Notes on Feathering
I allowed the dipped icing to set for about 10 minutes before piping, because I wanted the zigzags to stay smooth and clearly defined.
If you prefer a feathered look similar to the “real” Party Rings, use a wet-on-wet technique: Pipe the stripes immediately, then use a toothpick (cocktail stick), fondant tool, or metal skewer to feather the two colors together.
Cutting the Party Ring Biscuits
To replicate the iconic round shape, I used a party ring biscuit cutter from my set of British biscuit cutters. (I love this set and use it frequently, not just for Party Rings, but also to make bourbon biscuits and Jammie Dodgers!)
If you don’t have a special cutter, you can use a basic 2-inch round metal cutter instead. Cut the dough into discs, then use a 1/2-inch round cutter to cut a hole in the middle of each one. A small bottle cap (like the cap from a bottle of flavoring or extract) also works great for creating the center cutouts.
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
To make ahead: You can prepare the cookie dough up to 24 hours in advance. Flatten into a disc, wrap in clingfilm/parchment, and refrigerate until ready to use.
To freeze: Freeze unbaked cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature. Ice prior to serving.
To store: Layer homemade party rings between sheets of parchment or wax paper and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. To avoid damaging the icing, make sure it’s thoroughly set before transferring the cookies to the container.
Other British recipes you might enjoy:
Bourbon Biscuits
Eton Mess
Lemon Posset
Bara Brith
Clotted Cream Fudge
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
Homemade Party Ring Biscuits
Featuring a crunchy vanilla biscuit and sweet, vibrantly colored icing, these homemade party ring biscuits look just like the British supermarket classic.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Chilling Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12-15 minutes
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 36 2-inch cookies
- Category: Biscuits and Cookies
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: British
Ingredients
Biscuits:
192 grams all purpose flour (1 1/2 cups)
100 grams caster sugar (1/2 cup)
22 grams cornflour (3 tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
113 grams unsalted butter (4 ounces; 1/2 cup), cold and cubed
1 medium egg, at room temperature (about 48-50 grams)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Icing:
200 grams confectioner’s sugar (1 1/2 cups), sifted, plus more to adjust consistency
40 grams light corn syrup or liquid glucose (2 tablespoons)
30 milliliters whole milk (2 tablespoons), plus more to adjust consistency
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Pink, yellow, and purple gel food coloring (I used Chefmaster Neon Brites)
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, caster sugar, cornflour, and kosher salt.
Add the butter to the dry ingredients. With your fingertips, rub the mixture together until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
In a small bowl, whisk together egg and vanilla extract.
Form a well in the dry ingredients. Add the egg and use a fork to mix until a dry, clumpy dough forms.
With your hands, finish bringing the dough together until a soft dough forms.
Shape into a 7-inch disc. Wrap in clingfilm/plastic wrap and refrigerate, at 1 hour or overnight.
Line 2 half sheet rimmed baking trays, or 3-4 smaller trays, with parchment or a silicone mat. Set aside.
On a silicone rolling mat or lightly floured countertop, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness.
With a 2-inch round cutter, cut dough into discs, then use a 1/2-inch round cutter to cut a hole in the middle of each. (I used the party ring cutter from this set of classic British biscuit cutters.)
Re-roll scraps and cut remaining cookies.
Arrange on prepared trays. (If using a single half sheet rimmed baking tray, I recommend starting with 24 cookies, then baking the rest in a second batch. Don’t overcrowd the cookies on the tray, and do not bake multiple trays at once.)
Freeze cookies on tray for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350° F / 176° C.
Bake in preheated oven for 13-15 minutes, or until very lightly golden brown around the edges.
Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
Icing:
Line a half sheet rimmed tray with parchment, wax paper or clingfilm/plastic wrap. Sit a wire rack over top.
In a medium bowl, whisk together confectioner’s sugar, corn syrup, whole milk, and vanilla bean paste.
Divide icing into four small bowls. If necessary, add more confectioner’s sugar to adjust the consistency. The icing should be thick enough to hold its shape when piped, yet thin enough for dunking and drizzling.
Tint with pink, yellow, and purple food coloring. (I used Chefmaster’s Neon Brite line, but you can choose any colors you’d like.
Turn each cookie upside-down and dunk in the icing color of your choice. Lift upwards and allow the excess icing to drizzle back into the bowl.
Repeat with remaining cookies. As you dip, sit each cookie icing side up on prepared wire rack, allowing excess icing to drip onto the parchment-covered tray below.
Set aside and allow the icing to set, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, transfer remaining icing into disposable piping bags. (You will need a separate bag for each color).
Once cookie icing is firm to the touch, pipe contrasting zigzags over each cookie. (Note: If you want to achieve a “feathered” look, pipe the zigzags while the cookies are still wet, then use a fondant tool or toothpick to feather.)
Allow cookies to sit at room temperature until icing sets, about 5-10 minutes.
Store party rings in an airtight container, layered between sheets of parchment, for up to 5 days.