Hundreds and Thousands Biscuits

Hi hi! Just popping in to share this recipe for Hundreds and Thousands Biscuits. These are my favourite New Zealand childhood biscuit (what we call cookies in New Zealand), and we still make sure to get a few packets when we go home now, because they are just so, so good!

Hundreds and Thousands biscuits are named after the sprinkles on the top, which is the name that we use for Nonpareils - I guess because there's hundreds and thousands of them? They are a basic vanilla biscuit, topped with icing and then finished with sprinkles. They may be basic but they are so, so good - we have holiday cookie 'sampler' boxes that you get from the supermarket around the holidays and the hundreds and thousands biscuits were always the first ones to go!

I developed this recipe for Bake from Scratch Magazine's Holiday Cookie Issue this year, but it is such a classic that I have to share it here with you too!

corner shot of hundreds and thousands cookies on sheet pan

pulled back shot of cookies on sheet pan

How to make Hundreds and Thousands Biscuits

I combined two of my favourite things to make this recipe - my Great Grandma's famous shortbread recipe, and Hundreds and Thousands Biscuits. The cookie has a vanilla shortbread base, then a royal icing top that sets up hard, and is topped with sprinkles. These are super easy to make, and only have a few steps:

Make the Shortbread Dough - This dough is super easy to make. You cream together butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. You then dump in the flour and mix to combine, and that's it! It gets wrapped up and hangs out in the fridge for a bit to hang out.
Roll out the cookies - Grandma's shortbread was a slice and bake but I turned these into a roll-out situation because they are easier to cut neatly. You roll the dough out between two pieces of parchment paper (easiest and cleanest way to do it), then freeze it down which makes cutting out the cookies super neat and easy.
Bake the Shortbread - Shortbread gets baked at a lower temperature, and we aren't looking to brown it up much, just to bake it until it's set and super tender and buttery.
Make the Icing - I use royal icing to finish these off. I made this one with egg whites, but you can use meringue powder if you don't want to do raw egg whites.
Add the Sprinkles - They aren't hundreds and thousands biscuits without them! I wait a few minutes before adding the sprinkles so that they don't sink.

FAQ for Hundreds and Thousands Biscuits

Can these be made ahead?

Yep! You can store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days. Once you add the icing and the sprinkles, the sprinkles will start to bleed, so just keep that in mind. You can also freeze the cut-out cookies before baking.

What do I do with extra royal icing?

There is a bit more icing than you need in the recipe. This is because you need enough to be able to comfortably dip the cookies into the icing without them snapping and to get a good coating. It can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container with some plastic wrap on the surface, to be used in another project.

What are the best sprinkles to use?

I just use regular nonpareils for these. I use the colour combination you can get just at the grocery store, but you could mix it up with lots of different colours - Sprinkle Pop and Layer Cake Shop both sell super cute sprinkles!

A few wee tips for Hundreds and Thousands Biscuits

Leave a few minutes between dipping the cookies in the icing and adding the sprinkles. If you add them too soon, then the sprinkles will sink, which isn't the end of the world. I just prefer them a little raised up. I dip about 5 or 6, then wait, then add the sprinkles. Once you get started there isn't too much down time because you can be waiting for others to dry while dipping more.
This shortbread works well for cut-out cookies too. I made it quite thin to mimic the hundreds and thousands biscuits. If you wanted to make more detailed cut-outs, you could roll it a bit thicker.

For more New Zealand Recipes, check out:

Made this recipe and love it?

I would LOVE for you to leave me a review below to let me know how you liked it! Make sure to tag me on Instagram if you make it!

A note on salt and oven temperature

It is important to note the type of salt that is called for in a recipe. I use Diamond Crystal salt throughout my recipes - if you use a different sort of kosher salt or regular table salt you will need to adjust accordingly as some salt is 'saltier' than others. Morton's salt is twice as salty, so you will need half the quantity. Same goes for a regular table salt. I am working to get gram measurements throughout my recipes for salt but still getting there.

All oven temperatures are conventional unless otherwise stated. If you are baking on fan, you will need to adjust the temperature. An oven thermometer is a great investment to ensure that your oven is the correct temperature.

Why is this recipe in grams?

I post my recipes in grams as it is the most accurate way to bake. Cups are not only inaccurate but they vary in volume worldwide. There is no way for me to provide one cup measure that works for everyone. However, posting in weight fixes this issue. If you would like the recipe in cups you are welcome to convert it yourself via google, but please do not ask me to do it for you as I am not comfortable providing a recipe using a method that I have not tested. Baking with a scale is easy, accurate, and also makes cleanup super simple. Here is the scale that I use if you would like a recommendation! Here's to accurate baking!