Queen Elizabeth II's Christmas Pudding Recipe (2024)

Queen Elizabeth II's Christmas Pudding Recipe (1)

Mr NQN and I were shopping the other day. Well more correctly I was dragging him along to the shops and he was dragging his heels. He is usually fine as long as there's a comfortable place for him to sit and an internet connection but there wasn't in this case. I told him that if I had my own shop I would make sure that the bored menfolk would have their very own lounge and internet connection so that we could shop in peace. There would be a buzzer system where we could summon them to thechangeroom for their opinion when needed.

"So, what would you call your shop?" he asked me.

"Hmmm....something about owls. The name Hooters is obviously out" I quickly added.

"And what would you sell?"

I started to get excited "Well I'm glad that you asked because I've thought about it! Of course I'd put some taxidermied owls in the window or other forest creatures. Or if I could I could have real owls but perhaps the local council wouldn't like that unless they were Harry Potter fans. I'd sell things that I find interesting...like that."

Queen Elizabeth II's Christmas Pudding Recipe (2)

I pointed at a window. We were in the Blue Mountains over Easter and we had stopped in front of a shop with a window full of waving Queen Elizabeth II statuettes. The figurines were solar powered and upon closer inspection the solar panel sat on top of her handbag. It was fabulous and I knew just who I would buy it for. And before I would give it to them she would figure in my Queen Elizabeth II pudding recipe photo.

Queen Elizabeth II's Christmas Pudding Recipe (3)

Yes this pudding recipe is Queen Elizabeth II's very own recipe. And how did I get a hold of it? Well I was lucky enough to meet chef Peter Morgan-Jones who worked for Buckingham Palace a few years ago. I was at a lunch hosted by the Trippas White group who cater for the Art Gallery Restaurant, the Botanic Gardens restaurant and among several others. Peter is the group executive chef across all of the restaurants. He is a quietly spoken, lovely man and when the talk turned to the upcoming royal wedding, he mentioned that he used to work at Buckingham Palace and that he had the Queen's Christmas Pudding recipe. Excitedly I asked him if he could share it and he told me that he could! Fascinated I read through the recipe. There was no month long steeping of fruit but there was stout,suet and grated carrot and apple.

Queen Elizabeth II's Christmas Pudding Recipe (4)

I must admit that I find the whole concept of royalty fascinating. And while I'm not vehemently pro or against I put them in the same category as celebrities. If I like what they say or do I like them but if they don't then I don't like them and I don't take take a general stance on them. But I am absolutely fascinated in taking a peek into their world. What do they eat? Are they like the rest of us? And it seems I had met someone that could tell me all about them from a food perspective whichis just what I was interested in!

Peter was a royal caterer for five years and he spent time working at Buckingham Palace , Windsor castle , Highgrove & Kensington Palace (for Charles and Diana), Clarence house (for the Queen mum) andGatcombe park (Princess Anne). He also ran the Buckingham palace garden parties which were affairs with 8,000 guests and "We used to make 16,000 sandwiches and serve 10,000 cups of tea." And what were each of their tastes like?

Queen Elizabeth II's Christmas Pudding Recipe (5)

Well according to Peter, Charles eats organic fare from his estate at Highgrove. He didn't eat red meat but occasionally would eat poultry and fish and Princess Diana would eat the same. The Queen and Queen Mum both loved traditional fare e.g. roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. For breakfast she would eat wholemeal toast (dry, from what he saw) and porridge. Her husband the Duke of Edinburgh (Prince Philip) was partial to game with Peter cooking at many pheasant shoots on their shooting estate inTetbury, Gloucestershire. Peter would also cook for Prince Charles when he would entertain at Highgrove. Charles would host barbecues for all his farming land renters (Duchy of Cornwall) which would featurebeef burgers, sausages , lamb brochettes , salmon kebabs, salads and bread. See, they're just like us! Well not really ;)

He got to meet all of the royals although hedid not formally meet the Queen as it takes five years before an introduction. Peter explains "The others are very approachable, just usual royal etiquette . Speak when spoken to and do not raise a question first. I met Princess Diana at Highgrove and we had a chat in her kitchen over a cup of tea on a couple of occasions. She was very warm and approachable. Prince Charles was also very social, dropping the occasional jokes etc."

Queen Elizabeth II's Christmas Pudding Recipe (6)

As for this pudding, annually "We used to make 1,600 (of the puddings). I used to get one back each Christmas as a present from the Queen" Peter says.The Christmas pudding is of course out of season but I figured fruit cake and Christmas pudding are very similar creatures-cousins at least withthe differences being the use of suet and breadcrumbs and the pudding being steamed rather than baked. And of course I wasn't in a position to call the Queen upandask her for her wedding cake recipe.Peter tells us that "Christmas pudding is traditionally served warm with brandy sauce /ice cream or custard. This recipe is very moist and I used to eat it cold. It is also good crumbled into ice cream to make Christmas pudding ice cream."

Queen Elizabeth II's Christmas Pudding Recipe (7)

This recipe does take eight hours of steaming. Yes eight hours. So I figured it was about perfect for the night of the wedding if you were so inclined and staying up for it. I kept it as authentic as possible by buying English stout rather than using beer although the only English stout was a chocolate stout (and hey when is adding chocolate a bad thing?). I also found myself some suet last minute from Victor Churchill although Peter advises that usually giving your butcher three day's notice is wise as it's not always an item that they stock.

Queen Elizabeth II's Christmas Pudding Recipe (8)

As it was I started it around 6pm one evening and by the time it was steaming it was 6:30pm and I had to set alarms every two hours to keep topping it up with boiling water and a 2:30am wake up call to turn the stove off. And if there is one thing I would recommend, it is putting it in a large steamer pot. I had one that held a reservoir of 2 litres of water under the steamer insert which meant that I didn't have to worry about it boiling dry and I could just check on it every 2-3 hours insteadof more frequently. After eight hours, bleary eyed, I turned it off and then went to bed just hoping that the thing was cookedandat that stage not being even mildly curious just wanting some sleep.

Queen Elizabeth II's Christmas Pudding Recipe (9)

The next morning, the pudding has cooled so that it was easy to handle. I took the lid off and peered inside it. Would it budge? All I had done was greased the pudding tin. I lifted the parchment disc and the pudding looked cooked which was an immense relief to me. The pudding was lovely and moist and packed with a generous amount of fruit and Mr NQN and I devoured it with much relish and then went back for more. I will be saving slices of this to eat with brandy custard when we watch the RoyalWedding tomorrow night on television.

So tell me Dear Reader, will you be watching the Royal Wedding?

Queen Elizabeth II's Christmas pudding

Recipe courtesy of Peter Morgan-Jones

Makes 2-4 puddings depending on the size of your pudding basin. This made two 1 litre puddings

  • 200g currants

  • 350g seedless raisins

  • 120g chopped candied mixed peel

  • 350g sultanas

  • 100g chopped glace cherries

  • 170g blanched slivered almonds

  • 1 tart cooking apple, peeled, cored, chop coarsely

  • 1 carrot, peeled and chopped finely

  • 5 teaspoon grated orange rind

  • 2 teaspoon lemon rind

  • 230g beef suet (order from local butcher),chopped finely

  • 100g fresh white breadcrumbs

  • 230g plain flour

  • 230g brown sugar

  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg grated

  • 4 tblsp brandy

  • 1 teaspoon mixed spice

  • 4 tblsp fresh orange juice

  • 120 ml stout (dark Ale)

  • 6 eggs

  • 3 tblsp lemon juice

  • butter for greasing the pudding basin

Method

Queen Elizabeth II's Christmas Pudding Recipe (10)

Step 1 - Place the dry fruit and cherries and rind in the biggest bowl you can find, with the apple and carrot and almonds. Add the beef suet and mix together. Stir in flour, breadcrumbs, salt mixed spice and cinnamon and brown sugar.

Queen Elizabeth II's Christmas Pudding Recipe (11)

Step 2 - Whisk the eggs until frothy. Add the ale, brandy, orange and lemon juice.Knead mixture togethervigorouslyuntil well blended, spoon into four 750 ml pudding basins, cover with buttered greaseproof circle, and make sure pudding is not to the top of rim.

Queen Elizabeth II's Christmas Pudding Recipe (12)

Queen Elizabeth II's Christmas Pudding Recipe (13)

Step 3 - Cover pudding with aluminium foil and put a side plate on top to make a seal. Steam for 8 hours. When cool, place plastic lid on pudding, or use calico.Can be stored for up to 12 months.

To reheat, steam for 2 hours or place in the microwave (remove foil from top if using foil).

Queen Elizabeth II's Christmas Pudding Recipe (14)

Published on 2011-04-28 by Lorraine Elliott.

Queen Elizabeth II's Christmas Pudding Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Queen Elizabeth II's Christmas Pudding Recipe? ›

She would buy them a Christmas pudding each from Tesco, having previously purchased them from Fortnum & Mason but switching to the popular supermarket as buying 1,500 puddings is quite the expense.

Where does the queen get her Christmas pudding? ›

She would buy them a Christmas pudding each from Tesco, having previously purchased them from Fortnum & Mason but switching to the popular supermarket as buying 1,500 puddings is quite the expense.

What is Christmas pudding in England made of? ›

No British Christmas is complete without a Christmas Pudding. Unlike American puddings, a Christmas Pudding has a sticky, dense sponge, much like a fruitcake, made from mixed dried fruit, candied fruit peel, apple, citrus juice, and zest. Brandy and spices provide a deep, complex flavor and signature dark color.

What is Queen of puddings made of? ›

Like many puddings of yesteryear, the base of this custard stems from day-old bread soaked in milk; the modern version of this pudding adds egg yolks to milk soaked and sweetened breadcrumbs. The base turns into something remarkably cake-like, but with the added richness of custard.

What was Prince Philip's favourite pudding? ›

Prince Philip's Favourite Dessert was Crepe Islandaise.

What puddings does the queen like? ›

Lemon Posset Pudding

Lemon has a strong association with its antibacterial qualities, so it was a popular ingredient to have in this traditionally immune-boosting treat. The Queen loved Lemon Posset Pudding so much, that she even had it at her wedding to Prince Philip in 1947!

What is traditionally hidden inside a Christmas pudding in England? ›

For a long time it's been common practice to include silver Christmas pudding coins, charms or tokens into Christmas pudding. Finding a Christmas coin in your slice of pudding is believed to bring good luck and especially wealth in the coming year.

Does The Queen say pudding or dessert? ›

Most Brits and Americans refer to the sweet treats after a meal as dessert, whether it's cake, mousse, pies, or otherwise. The British Royal Family may be partial to this sweet course, but they call it pudding, even if it's cake.

What was The Queen's Christmas dinner? ›

That was always roast turkey and all the trimmings. “Usually it was homemade sage and onion stuffing, Brussels sprouts with bacon and chestnuts, sometimes parsnips and carrots – it varied year to year – mashed potatoes and roast potatoes, homemade gravy, then Christmas pudding with brandy sauce.

What is Christmas pudding called in the USA? ›

Christmas Pudding (also known as plum pudding or figgy pudding) is a dish as famous as it is misunderstood.

Why is American pudding so different from British pudding? ›

Instant puddings do not require boiling and can therefore be prepared more quickly. This pudding terminology is common in North America and some European countries such as the Netherlands, whilst in Britain, egg-thickened puddings are considered custards and starch-thickened puddings called blancmange.

Why put coins in Christmas pudding? ›

It is key that every member of the family gives the pudding mixture a stir and makes a wish at the same time. Traditionally, a silver sixpence was stirred in to bring whoever found the coin on Christmas Day wealth and good luck in the year to come.

What is the Lord's Queen of Puddings? ›

Queen of Puddings is a traditional British dessert made up of custard thickened with bread crumbs, a layer of jam then piped with pillowy meringue that is browned to perfection!

What is the royal family's favorite dessert? ›

Chocolate biscuit cake is reportedly one of the Royal Family's favourite desserts, which "has become irresistible to generations of royal diners".

Is Queen of Puddings served hot or cold in BBC? ›

Spoon or pipe the meringue over the jam layer and bake for another 20-30 mins until the meringue is golden and set. Best served warm.

What is the Favourite food of Prince William? ›

While meeting young people from the Together As One charity, the Prince of Wales revealed steaks and full English breakfasts were his favourite meals. Talking to the young chefs he admitted “I do a bit of cooking, but not much.” But luckily Princess Kate can save the day: “Catherine is very good though,” he added.

What is the Favourite food of Prince Charles? ›

He occasionally goes for heartier meals like pheasant pie and risotto, and let's not forget about his love for a dram of Scotch whisky and a martini, but the King is a really big fan of eggs, with one of his favourite meals being cheesy baked eggs and coddled eggs, which he tends to have every morning, alongside some ...

What did William have for breakfast? ›

During his visit to the community space, William completed a nutrition sheet. He stated that he enjoys a "healthy breakfast" which consists of two eggs, wholemeal toast with butter, apple juice and a cup of tea.

What cake did the Queen eat every day? ›

When it's time to treat herself, McGrady revealed that all the Queen wants is a piece of chocolate biscuit cake. The cake is reportedly made in-house (or, more appropriately, in-palace), and Her Majesty consumes one slice per day.

What chocolate does the queen like? ›

The monarch is said to be fond of a classic British dark mint chocolate, usually eaten after dinner, that anyone can buy from a local supermarket. The Bendicks Bittermints were seen in the back of an engagement photo. The Queen also likes sweet offerings from the famous chocolatier Charbonnel et Walker.

What food did the Queen love? ›

The queen's preference for game meats even extended to more casual meals; she was, reportedly, a big fan of hamburgers made with ground venison. She usually skipped any potatoes, pastas or grains at her evening repast, but almost always had room for dessert.

What's the difference between Christmas pudding and figgy pudding? ›

Figgy Pudding

“Now bring us some figgy pudding” is the well-known refrain of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas." So, here it is. This seasonal favorite is essentially the same as a Christmas pudding but with the sweet addition of – wait for it – figs.

Why do we burn brandy on Christmas pudding? ›

The flaming brandy is said to represent the passion of Christ. Christmas puddings were traditionally boiled in a “pudding cloth”, although today are usually steamed in a bowl. Presented on the table with a sprig of holly, they are then doused in brandy and set alight.

Why is Christmas pudding black? ›

The pudding is very dark, almost black in appearance due to the dark sugars and black treacle in most recipes, and its long cooking time. The mixture can be moistened with the juice of citrus fruits, brandy and other alcohol (some recipes call for dark beers such as mild, stout or porter).

Where does The Queen get her food from? ›

Where does the Queen get her food shopping from? Most of the fruits and vegetables are grown on the Royal estates. Much of the meat is also sourced from the Royal estates, either hunted/fished or raised (such as chickens).

What gift did The Queen give her staff every Christmas? ›

Each December, Queen Elizabeth gives each member of her staff around 1,500 Christmas puddings to share between them, according to the official royal website. Every gift comes with a little extra something: a greeting card from the Queen herself.

Where does Queen Elizabeth spend her Christmas? ›

How does The Queen celebrate Christmas? The Royal Family traditionally spends Christmas and New Year at Sandringham House. The Queen's country estate in Norfolk. During the sixties, when Her Majesty's children were small, many Christmases were celebrated at Windsor Castle, where The Royal Family spends Easter.

What did The Queen eat for dessert? ›

When asked about Queen Elizabeth's taste, McGrady had this to say "The chocolate biscuit bake is the only cake that goes [went] again and again and again every day until it's all gone."

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