I remember the days when children’s parties used to put on a spread; crisps, sweets and chocolate galore. Really, that’s the origin of ‘girl dinner’ or ‘British tapas’.
Tables laden with Choc Gem, Cadbury Animals, Jaffa Cakes, and more. However, nothing says party like a Party Ring. Or even better, a Giant Party Ring. Mindlessly scrolling through TikTok landed me on home baker Paige, known as Paige Baked That, who supersizes all Britain’s most loved treats.
Earlier in the month she recreated a gargantuan version of a Party Ring. I was hooked instantly.
I knew I had to try her recipe out for myself. A crisp, crunchy biscuit layer topped with sugary sweet icing perfect for any party. Or a mid-afternoon snack.
Paige’s recipe features a simple biscuit recipe, which does require some patience when it comes to chilling the dough. You can’t skip these steps as they’re key to making sure you get the Party Ring’s signature ridges on the bottom of the cake.
The choice of a longer, slower bake at a lower temperature will ensure the biscuit doesn’t burn. Although 50 minutes may seem like an aeon, that’s all it needed.
My biscuit kept its signature ridges while something out a wonderfully golden colour. You also need to let the biscuit cool completely before adding any icing, as it’ll just slide off.
Paige guestimated the consistency of her icing, but you’ll want a thicker layer for the bottom, and more malleable consistency for the feathering. As she recommended a proper royal icing, I decided to try it.
Royal icing definitely makes for a more stable layer on top of the biscuit, running no risk of sliding off. I’d suggest reserving a smaller amount of royal icing for the pink lines, adding a small bit of water to loosen the consistency.
This also makes for an easy decoration, as you can use a spatula to smooth out the base layer of icing. The pink feathering isn’t my best work, but for my first time attempting to replicate a giant version of a childhood favourite, I’m happy.
This took me back to the days when I didn’t have a care in the world. All of Paige’s recipes are incredibly nostalgic, and I thank her for bringing those childhood memories back to the forefront.
Whether you’re planning on a surprise for someone’s birthday or fancy devouring the biscuit entirely for yourself, this is certain to put a smile on your face.
Giant Party Ring
Ingredients
- 150g unsalted butter, softened
- 150g caster sugar
- 2 medium egg
- Vanilla extract
- 300g plain flour
Royal icing
- 3 egg whites
- 600g icing sugar
- 1 tsp liquid glucose
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Method
Begin by creaming the butter and sugar together. Then add the eggs, vanilla, followed by folding in the flour forming a dough. Then chill for around an hour.
Once chilled it’s time to create the shape. Use a large plate or the bottom of a baking tin, using a knife to cut out the shape.
Leave some of the leftover dough for the ridges on the bottom of the party ring. Roll out four stripes and place them diagonally.
Follow again, placing the next four stripes diagonally to the first. Do two more times until you have a total of 16 ridges.
Use a fondant tool – chopstick – dipped in water to mould the edges of the ridges into the biscuit. Once complete, chill again for around 45 minutes.
When the time is up, bake the biscuit for around 50 minutes on 160℃ (fan), but this may vary.
Paige used regular icing on her biscuit, but recommended using a royal icing for a better set. For the royal icing, whisk the egg whites until lightly whipped. Add the icing sugar a few tablespoons at a time, whisking continuously until all incorporated. Add the glucose and lemon juice.
Continue whisking until the icing is thick enough to hold stiff peaks when you lift the beaters and is smooth and shiny. Separate a small amount into a separate bowl.
Add yellow food colouring to the larger bowl. Once the colours are mixed, place the yellow icing in a piping bag, piping icing all the centre circle and the edge of the biscuit.
Use some water to loosen the icing in the small bowl, adding red or pink food colouring for the desired colour. Add the pink stripes across the biscuit then using a thin tool to run through the lines.
