Queen Elizabeth’s Favorite 4-Ingredient Dessert: Easy & Scrumptious!

I’m a father to two young girls, aged 3 and 5, who have become enchanted by the whimsical world of tea parties. They love nothing more than dressing up in elaborate costumes from their play chest and pretending to sip tea and nibble on pastries. Imagine their excitement when they returned from preschool to find a spread of authentic teatime snacks, fit for royalty!

Crafting 4-Ingredient Jam Puffs

Despite their association with royal taste, these favored jam puffs of the Queen Mother are surprisingly simple to prepare. You can find the recipe in Cooking & the Crown by Tom Parker Bowles, though it’s fairly straightforward. Begin by rolling out a sheet of pre-made puff pastry and cutting it into three-inch rounds with a biscuit or cookie cutter.

Place a small dollop of jam, roughly a teaspoon, in the center of each pastry circle. Then, brush a little beaten egg around the perimeter before folding the dough over to form half-moon shapes. Seal the edges by pressing with a fork. Chill these prepped puffs for 15 minutes, then bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with a side of heavy cream.

Advice for Perfecting Royal Jam Puffs

While the royal chefs probably used homemade puff pastry and jams, I opt for store-bought versions for convenience. Pepperidge Farm puff pastry is readily available and works well, though Trader Joe’s offers a superior version that’s only available seasonally; unfortunately, I’ve already used my stash.

For the jam, I’ve been using homemade preserves for years, thanks to lessons from my aunts. They occupy a good deal of space in my pantry, so it was a pleasure to use some for this recipe. I chose plum butter and cherry jam for their thick consistency, which is key for keeping the filling in place during baking.

If opting for commercial jams, select those that are thicker to prevent them from leaking out as you fold and seal the pastry.

This recipe uses a pound of puff pastry and can make anywhere from 12 to 16 jam puffs, though I often end up with about two dozen. Roll out the pastry thinly to maximize yield, and don’t worry about re-rolling the scraps to get the most out of your dough.

The Unexpected Twist in the Queen’s Beloved Dessert

A fun little trick comes at the end of this recipe. It’s become somewhat of a challenge to nibble off a corner of the jam puff, pour in some cream, and then eat it without causing a mess.

The recipe’s introduction, filled with regal charm, recounts the Earl of Caithness’s humorous struggle with this technique during a picnic, which resulted in a rather sloppy situation.

Much like the Earl, my daughters and I attempted this and ended up making quite the mess—though we had a great time doing it. Next time, I might serve them with a thicker cream to minimize cleanup!