The late Queen Elizabeth II had a favourite snack that she enjoyed almost every day for over 90 years. Since childhood, the monarch, who became Britain's longest-serving sovereign before her death at age 96 in September 2022, relished a simple afternoon treat that is incredibly easy to prepare at home.
What are jam pennies?
Former royal chef Darren McGrady revealed on YouTube that Queen Elizabeth loved jam pennies – small, circular jam sandwiches. He explained: "The Queen was served jam pennies in the nursery as a little girl; she's had them for afternoon tea ever since. Simple, just bread and jam with a little butter – usually strawberry jam."
McGrady added: "We'd make the jam at Balmoral Castle with the gorgeous Scottish strawberries from the gardens."
Why circles instead of triangles?
These sandwiches were always cut into circles, never triangles or squares, due to a long-standing royal superstition. In the documentary Secrets of the Royal Kitchen, former royal chef Graham Newbould stated: "The royals never have square sandwiches because tradition has it that anyone presenting them with pointed-edged food is trying to overthrow the throne of England."
How to make jam pennies
You can recreate this royal favourite with just three ingredients:
- White bread
- Butter
- Strawberry jam
Method:
- Spread butter on one side of a slice of bread, and jam on the other side.
- Press the slices together.
- Use a small round cookie cutter to cut into circular sandwiches.
While the late Queen used homemade jam from Balmoral, store-bought jam works perfectly well.
