Queen Elizabeth II died at her home in Balmoral, Scotland, on September 8, 2022. She was Queen of the United Kingdom, but also Queen of Australia as well. I want to pay tribute this remarkable woman with this recipe. This recipe was written by her in her letter sent to the US president Eisenhower in 1960, the year I was born. You can find the images of her letter and the recipe on the internet. I heard that these Drop Scones are also known as Scottish Pancakes. Her recipe was for 16 servings. That was too much for many of us. I halved the recipe. And also she used a teacup for measuring. I translated 1 teacup is about 3/4 measuring cup.


Makes

8 Scones (Pancakes)

Ingredients

1 & 1/2 cups Plain Flour *1 cup is 250ml
2 tablespoons Caster Sugar
3/4 cup Milk
1 large Egg
1 teaspoon Bi-Carbonate Soda
1 & 1/2 teaspoons Cream of Tartar
1 tablespoon melted Butter
Oil OR Butter for cooking

Queen Elizabeth II’s Original Ingredients

4 teacups Plain Flour
4 tablespoons Caster Sugar
2 teacups Milk
2 whole Eggs
2 teaspoons Bi-Carbonate Soda
3 teaspoons Cream of Tartar
2 tablespoons melted Butter

Method
  1. Beat Eggs, Sugar and about 1/2 of Milk in a mixing bowl.
  2. Add Flour, Bi-Carbonate Soda and Cream of Tartar, and mix adding remaining Milk as required. (I think you will need all Milk.) Fold in melted Butter. *Note: This batter is very thick. It’s like Bread Dough.
  3. The Queen suggested not to leave the batter for too long, that means you need to cook it straight away.
  4. Heat a large thick-base frying pan such as cast iron pan. When it is hot, lower the heat to very low and cool the pan slightly. Lightly oil the pan, drop large spoonfuls of batter on pan and form pancakes. I recommend to cover with a lid.
  5. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then flip them over, and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cover with a tea towel to keep warm while you cook the second batch.
  6. Serve with Jam, Cream, Butter, Golden Syrup, etc.