Queen Elizabeth had a sweet tooth and when it came to her favourite treat, the late monarch favoured a simple and distinctly British snack11:02, 21 May 2026The late Queen Elizabeth may have been Britain's longest-reigning monarch with access to the most sumptuous and exotic delicacies imaginable, yet when it came to indulging her sweet tooth, she opted for something decidedly humble and quintessentially British.‌Throughout her seven-decade reign, the late monarch completed more than 200 visits to Commonwealth nations alone, which would certainly have introduced her to countless delicacies served at formal dinners.‌Yet when it came to her tastes, Elizabeth would select a cherished English classic that millions of Britons have grown to love - one that she savoured daily since childhood, reports the Express.‌Darren McGrady, who worked for the Royal Family for 15 years as a chef cooking for all the senior members of the Firm, revealed what the late monarch's favourite afternoon treat was.In a YouTube video, he talked about the annual summer garden parties, saying: "With 6,000 people at each garden party that's a lot of food, and fortunately, the royal chefs only have to cater for the royal tea tent."‌He added: "The [late] 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. We'd make the jam at Balmoral Castle with the gorgeous Scottish strawberries from the gardens."The former royal chef disclosed that sandwiches were invariably cut into a circular shape, never triangles or squares, due to an age-old superstition that pointed food would bring misfortune upon the monarchy.‌A circular cutter was employed to stamp out round portions from the centre of the bread, which resulted in them being called pennies "after the size of the old English penny".According to Owen Hodgson, another firm favourite of the late monarch was a tuna mayo sandwich. The former royal chef previously told The Telegraph that Elizabeth had a great fondness for tuna and mayonnaise sandwiches, which were usually generously buttered and served with thin slices of cucumber and a sprinkle of pepper.Jam pennies recipeIngredients‌Sliced bread, such as white, multi-grain or wholemealSoftened unsalted butter, to spreadJam, such as home-made strawberry or raspberry jam. You can use lemon curd too if you're a citrus loverMethodRemove the crusts from the sliced bread and set aside for breadcrumbs or bread pudding.‌Stamp out small rounds of bread with a scone/biscuit/pastry cutter.Spread the crust-less sliced bread "pennies" with the butter on one side only, just as if you were preparing normal sandwiches.Spread the jam of your choice over one side of the buttered bread and then sandwich together with another buttered slice.Article continues belowArrange on a nice plate and serve with a pot of tea.