The Great Royal Bake Off: Her majesty's 1960 drop scone recipe for American President Dwight Eisenhower revealed

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

Our Monarch was, it seems, making tea-time treats decades before The Great British Bake Off. 

In January 1960, the Queen wrote to the then American president, Dwight Eisenhower, giving him the recipe for the drop scones — also known as Scotch pancakes — that he had enjoyed while on a visit to Balmoral with his wife, Mamie. 

The letter has been brought to light in a new book, Letters Of Note by British author Shaun Usher.

 

In January 1960, the Queen wrote to the American president giving him the recipe for the drop scones, reveals a new book

She wrote: ‘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 hope you will find them successful.’ 

Her recipe for scones for 16 people: Beat together 2 eggs, 4 tbsps of caster sugar and 1 tsp of milk; add 4 tsps of plain flour, a second tsp of milk, two tsp of bicarbonate of soda and 3 tsps of cream of tartar. 

'Finally, you should fold in 2 tbsps of melted butter'. She fails, however, to give any cooking instructions. 

The new book's synopsis on Amazon says: 'From Virginia Woolf's heart-breaking suicide letter, to Queen Elizabeth II's recipe for drop scones sent to President Eisenhower.

In a letter to Dwight Eisenhower, she wrote: 'I had never sent you the recipe of the drop scones which I promised you at Balmoral. I hope you will find them successful'

'From the first recorded use of the expression "OMG" in a letter to Winston Churchill, to Gandhi's appeal for calm to Hitler.

'And from Iggy Pop's beautiful letter of advice to a troubled young fan, to Leonardo da Vinci's remarkable job application letter, Letters Of Note is a celebration of the power of written correspondence, which captures the humour, seriousness, sadness and brilliance that make up all of our lives.'

The letter has been brought to light in a new book, Letters Of Note by British author Shaun Usher, which also includes the first recorded use of 'OMG' in a letter to Winston Churchill and Gandhi's appeal for calm to Hitler

Letters Of Note by Shaun Usher is available from Amazon for £15.21.