Queen Elizabeth II's recipe for Drop Scones

This type of small pancake is made all over the world and is often known as a ‘drop scone’ or ‘Scotch pancake’ – it is very similar to American breakfast pancakes. After you make these, you can enjoy them with butter, jam or maple syrup – all are equally good!

This recipe is traditionally said to have been sent by Queen Elizabeth II to President Eisenhower around 1960.

Children should have adult supervision when cooking

Ingredients

1 free-range egg

2 tablespoons unrefined caster sugar

1 teaspoon unsalted butter, melted

250ml full-fat milk

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

240g plain flour

2.5 teaspoons baking powder

1.5 teaspoons cream of tartar

100g clarified unsalted butter

Equipment

Pancake griddle or non-stick frying pan

Method

1. In a mixing bowl sieve together the dry ingredients: flour, bicarbonate of soda, cream of tartar and sugar. Add to this the milk and egg and whisk to a smooth batter, finally adding the warm melted butter. Pass through a sieve to get rid of any lumps and if necessary thin with more milk. The batter should have a dropping consistency, but remain thick enough to retain its shape on the griddle.

2. Heat the griddle (or frying pan) over a medium heat and grease with clarified butter. Using a dessert spoon or small ladle, carefully pour spoonfuls of the batter on to the griddle. After one side has cooked, flip the scones with a palette knife to cook the other. Once you feel more confident you can cook a few scones at a time, being careful not to let them over-cook on either side.

3. Serve warm with butter and home-made preserves.