Recreate Queen Elizabeth II’s Recipe for Pancakes (or Drop Scones), Which She Sent to Dwight Eisenhower

Queen Elizabeth II was a multifaceted woman. In addition to being the longest-reigning monarch in British history, she was an animal lover, a movie star, and a trained mechanic. She also knew her way around a kitchen, as evidence by this recipe she mailed to Dwight Eisenhower in 1960.

According to Simplemost, Queen Elizabeth’s recipe for drop scones resurfaced on Reddit following her death on September 8 at age 96. She apparently served the dish to President Eisenhower when he visited Balmoral Castle in Scotland in 1959. Five months later, she sent him instructions for making the treats with the following note:

“Dear Mr. President. Seeing a picture of you in today’s newspaper, standing in front of a barbecue grilling quail, reminded me that I had never sent you the recipe of the drop scones which I promised you at Balmoral. I now hasten to do so, and I hope you will find them successful.”

Her recipe consists of simple ingredients that are easy to find outside of royal pantries. After beating two eggs with four tablespoons of sugar and roughly one teacup (or three quarters of a cup) of milk, she suggests adding four teacups of flour and mixing in another teacup of milk “as required.” She asks the maker to mix in three teaspoons of cream of tartar and two tablespoons of bicarbonate soda (baking soda) before folding in two tablespoons of melted butter.

The instructions end there, but if the Queen’s drop scones are traditional, they should be prepared like pancakes. After preparing your batter, scoop spoonfuls of it onto a hot pan or griddle and allow the medallions to cook for several minutes on each side. Drop scones are thicker than American flapjacks and should be heated for a slightly longer time. Her Majesty also recommended swapping the sugar for treacle or golden syrup and beating the batter “a great deal” before cooking it immediately.

Queen Elizabeth II was famous for her sweet tooth. According to former royal chef Darren McGrady, one of her favorite treats was a chocolate biscuit cake she enjoyed every day with her afternoon tea. If you want to eat like royalty in honor of the Queen's memory, you can find the cake recipe here.