Queen Elizabeth II's recipe for Drop Scones (2024)

FAQs

What is another name for drop scones? ›

In honor of all things Royal, we present to you a recipe for drop scones, otherwise known as "Scotch pancakes", that Queen Elizabeth made for President Dwight Eisenhower on the occasion of his visit to Balmoral castle in 1959.

The difference between drop scones and regular American pancakes depends on who you ask! But in general, drop scones are sturdier than pancakes, firm enough to butter like an English muffin. They are also a bit smaller than a typical pancake – somewhere between a usual-sized pancake and silver dollar pancake.

Beat two eggs with 4 tablespoons of sugar and about one teacup (or 3/4 of a cup) of milk. Add 4 teacups of flour and mix in another teacup of milk "as required" Mix in 3 teaspoons of cream of tartar and 2 tablespoons of bicarbonate soda (baking soda) Fold in 2 tablespoons of melted butter.

Well, according to Darren McGrady, a former chef who worked for the Royal Family for over 10 years, the Queen prefered jam first. He tweeted: “The Queen always had home-made Balmoral jam first with clotted cream on top at Buckingham Palace garden parties in the royal tea tent and all royal tea parties.”

A Biscuit (U.K.) is a Cookie (U.S.) A Biscuit (U.S.) Is a Scone (U.K.) An English Muffin (U.S.) is a Muffin (U.K.) Pudding (U.K.) is Not Pudding (U.S.)

“Scones are made with cream and eggs,” said Katina Talley, owner of Sweet Magnolias Bake Shop in Omaha, Nebraska. “They're sweeter, drier, and may contain fruit. Biscuits are typically made with buttermilk and no eggs. They're flaky, soft, and traditionally not sweet.”

He explained: "A Welsh cake is made from a dough, while a drop scone is made from a batter and is more of a pancake," he said.

That jam-first method in known as the Cornish style — versus the Devonshire style, which layers cream first. I followed the queen's lead, spreading a bit of each curd on a third of the scone, then greedily scooped the clotted cream and slathered it all over.

The purpose of a British scone is to be a lofty, feathery vehicle for jam and clotted cream and, above all, an accompaniment to tea.

American scones are traditionally triangle-shaped. Simply pat the dough into a rough circle and use a sharp knife or bench scraper to cut it into wedges. This technique also helps prevent you from overworking the dough.

What was Queen Elizabeth's favorite dish? ›

Queen Elizabeth adhered to a daily teatime meal; her preference for delicate sandwiches with the crusts cut off was well-publicized. Her favorite version was reported to be smoked salmon with cream cheese. If the old adage is true, one should eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dine like a pauper.

For breakfast she keeps things simple. Royal biographer, Katie Nicholl, has previously said: "HRH typically starts with a simple cup of tea and biscuits, followed by a bowl of cereal." (The Guardian previously reported she likes to keep it in Tupperware to preserve its freshness.)

Chocolate biscuit cake is Queen Elizabeth's favorite cake ~ she would take a small slice every day with her tea, until the cake was finished, and then she'd start on a fresh one!

Scones are a British afternoon tea staple and they're delicious served with jam and clotted cream. Not quite cake, but not really a biscuit or pastry either, scones have a unique texture that's entirely their own. Scones are traditionally made with flour, butter, sugar and milk, but where did the recipe originate from?

Magazine, private chef to the Queen for 11 years, Darren McGrady revealed the late Queen's favourite biscuits: "When I was there… Chocolate Bath Olivers." He also revealed: "She is absolutely a chocoholic. Anything we put on the menu that had chocolate on, she would choose, especially chocolate perfection pie."

How to make scones rise high? Once you've cut out your scone shapes, flip them over and place upside down on the baking tray. This will help them rise evenly and counteract any 'squashing' that happened when you cut out the dough. Perfect scones should rise to about 2 inches high.