This Was Princess Diana’s All-Time Favorite Dessert

Princess Diana remains one of the most fascinating members of the British royal family, even decades after her untimely demise. She is still a style icon, and I personally look forward to that time of year when everyone dons the Princess Diana “uniform” of crewneck sweatshirts and bike shorts.

Aside from her sartorial choices, we also know quite a bit about what she liked to eat. That’s all thanks to Darren McGrady, the former royal chef for Buckingham Palace. He’s the one who used to keep a private snack fridge in the palace kitchen just for her.

What was Princess Diana’s favorite dessert?

According to McGrady, Princess Diana enjoyed a classic British staple: bread and butter pudding. The recipe comes from his book, Eating Royally, and he notes that she absolutely loved eating it during holidays.

Bread pudding can be kind of a divisive dessert, at least here in the United States, because people either love it or hate it. (For the record, I am a huge fan, so I guess that means I have the same taste as Princess Diana.) The British version is slightly different, and admittedly more elegant. Instead of using torn or cubed pieces of bread and crust, it keeps the toast intact in a triangle shape. It’s then layered and baked in a buttered dish, so the end result looks like a fancy bread casserole.

Another thing that makes this dessert feel more elegant isn’t necessarily an ingredient, it’s just the fact that it takes time. The recipe calls for raisins to be soaked in amaretto overnight, so it’s not something that can be thrown together quickly when guests—or royalty—come to call. Overall, the end result is a rich, comforting dessert fit for a princess.

Related:

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• Queen Elizabeth’s All-Time Favorite Foods
• This Is the Surprising Snack Kate Middleton and Princess Charlotte Both Love