Royal cooking is a welcome subject for many people. There are several cookbooks with royal recipes, and even some royals wrote one themselves, or cooperated. Many royals love to cook themselves.
- Adriansen, Inge, Britta Andersen, Marie Aaberg Andersen, Bodil Møller Knudsen (ed.): Fyrstelige Måltider (Princely Meals) (Gammel Estrup, 2018)
- Ali, Meera and Karam Puri: Dining with the Nawabs (Roli Books, 2017)
- Brears, Peter: All the King’s Cooks. The Tudor Kitchens of King Henry VIII at Hampton Court Palace (Souvenir Press, 1999)
- Carnarvon, Fiona, Countess of: Christmas at Highclere. Recipes and Traditions from The Real Downton Abbey (Preface Publishing, 2019)
- Cosnac, Bettina de: Die Marquise bittet zu Tisch. Tafelfreuden auf französischen Schlössern (The marquise invites for dinner. Table delights at French castles) (Gerstenberg, 2012)
- Craig, Elizabeth: English royal cookbook: favorite court recipes (Hippocrene Books, 1998)
- Denmark, Prince Henrik of, Jakob Johannsen and Ole Raffel: Ikke Altid Gåselever (Not always foie gras) (Jomsborg, 1999)
- Denmark, Prince Henrik of, Jakob Johannsen and Ole Raffel: Fit for a Royal Dane. Gastronomic Views and Recipes of Prince Henrik (Jomsborg, 2002)
- Doherty, Robert H. (ed.): Royal cookbook: Favorite court recipes from the world’s royal families (Parents’ Magazine Press, 1971)
- Flanagan, Mark, and Edward Griffiths: A Royal Cookbook: Seasonal Recipes from Buckingham Palace (Royal Collection Trust, 2014)
- Flanagan, Mark, and Kathryn Cuthbertson: Royal Teas: Seasonal Recipes from Buckingham Palace (Royal Collection Trust, 2017)
- Ghanoonparvar, M.R.: Dining at the Safavid Court. 16th Century Royal Persian Recipes (Mazda Pub, 2017)
- Gleichenstein, Tino Freiherr von: Menüs à la Kaiserin Elisabeth (Menus à la Empress Elisabeth) (Ruperti 1998)
- Greece, HRH Princess Tatiana of, and Diana Farr Louis: A Taste of Greece. Recipes, Cuisine & Culture (teNeues, 2016)
- Hahnl, Julie: Julie’s Secrets from the Princely House of Liechenstein (Walter Verlag, 1969)
- Historic Royal Palaces: Chocolate Fit for a Queen. Delectable Chocolate Recipes (Ebury Press, 2017)
- Historic Royal Palaces: Tea Fit for a Queen. Recipes & Drinks for Afternoon Tea (Ebury Press, 2015)
- Hubb Community Kitchen, The (with foreword of The Duchess of Sussex): Together. Our Community Cookbook (Ebury Press 2018)
- Husain, Salma: The Emperor’s Table: The Art of Mughal Cuisine (Lustre Press, 2009)
- Husain, Salma Yusuf: The Mughal Feast. Recipes from the kitchen of Emperor Shah Jahan (Roli Books, 2019)
- Jones, Kathryn: For the Royal Table. Dining at the Palace (Royal Collection Enterprises, 2008)
- Juul, Selina (with among others Princess Marie of Denmark): Mad med respekt. En familiekogebog, der mindsker madspild (Food with respect. A family cookbook that reduces food waste) (Gyldendal, 2019)
- Kiesewetter, Marion: Fürstliche Menüs. Adelsfamilien in Schleswig-Holstein bitten zu Tisch (Princely menus. Noble families in Schleswig-Holstein invite for dinner) (Boyens, 2005)
- Kiesewetter, Marion: Fürstliche Menüs. Adelsfamilien in Niedersachsen bitten zu Tisch (Princely menus. Noble families in Lower Saxony invite for dinner) (Boyens, 2006)
- Kiesewetter, Marion: Fürstliche Menüs. In historischen Gemäuern festlich speisen – Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Princely menus. Festive Dinner between historical walls – Mecklenburg-West Pomerania) (Boyens, 2007)
- Korean Food Promotion Institute: Jewels of the Palace. Royal Recipes from Old Korea (Hollym International Corp., 2017)
- Kruyff, Lizet, and Cees Holtkamp: Oranje Toetjes. Van Willem de Zwijger tot Willem-Alexander (Amsterdam, 2015)
- Lane, John – A Right Royal Feast. Menus from royal weddings and history’s greatest banquets (Cincinnati, 2011)
- Macpherson, The Hon Sarah: The Royal Heritage Cookbook: Recipes from High Society and the Royal Court (The History Press, 2015)
- McGrady, Darren: Eating Royally: Recipes and Remembrances from a Palace Kitchen (Thomas Nelson, 2007)
- McKee, Mrs: The Royal Cookery Book (Arlington Books Publishers Ltd, 1989)
- Oliver, Charles: Dinner at Buckingham Palace (John Blake, 2019)
- Prasad, Neha, and Ashima Narain: Dining with the Maharajas (Roli Books, 2013)
- Robb, Carolyn: The Royal Touch. Simply Stunning Home Cooking from a Royal Chef (Antique Collectors Club Dist, 2015)
- Romania, Princess Margarita of: Carte regala de bucate (Royal Cookbook) (Curtea Veche, 2010)
- Saporiti, Nada: Royal Cookbook: Favorite Court Recipes from the World’s Royal Families (MacMillan Publishing Company, 1971)
- Scheepmaker, Anne: Eten met de Oranjes. Een Fotokookboek (Amsterdam, 2007)
- Schmidthalter, Daniel, und Helmut Borth: Fürstliche Hofküche des großherzoglichen Hauses Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Steffen, 2012)
- Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah: Dapur Istana Alam Shah – Royal Recipes from Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Selangor (Malaysia, 2016)
- Singh, Digvijaya: Cooking Delights of the Maharajas. Exotic Dishes from the Princely House of Sailana (Sangam Books, 2000)
- Singh, Manju Shivraj: Royal Indian Cookery: A Taste of Palace Life (Golden Press, 1987)
- Tengku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah Binti Sultan Iskandar (present Queen of Malaysia): Air Tangan Tengku Puan Pahang Manisan Tradisional Pahang (Lembaga Muzium Negeri Pahang, 2005)
- Tengku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah Binti Sultan Iskandar (present Queen of Malaysia): Air Tangan Tengku Puan Pahang – Manisan Tradisional Pahang (2018)
- Wagner Wittula, Renate: Imperial Austrian Cuisine. The Best Recipes from the Austro-Hungarian Royal Kitchen (Residenz Verlag, 2006)
- Wiesmüller, Maria: Sissis Lieblingsrezepte (Sissi’s favourite recipes) (Rum/Innsbruck, 2008)
- Wycherley, Mervyn: The Buckingham Palace Cookbook. Secrets from the Kitchens of the Royal Family (Smith Gryphon, 1997)
- York, Sarah, The Duchess of: Dining with the Duchess. Making Everyday Meals a Special Occasion (Simon & Schuster, 1998)
- Åkerström, Jenny, and Gudrun Carlson: Prinsessornas Kokbok: Husmanskost och Helgdagsmat (Princesses Cookbook: Home Cooking and Holiday Food) (A. Bonnier, 1929), translated 1936 as Princesses Cookbook.
BBC had a royal tv-program called “Royal Recipes”.
Occasionally some royal houses share recipes from their own kitchen online, most of the time something to bake.
- DK: Nonneprutter (Danish)
- DK: Regentkage (Danish)
- NO: Queen Maud’s scones (Norwegian)
- UK: Cheesy baked eggs
- UK: Chocolate birthday cake
- UK: Christmas ginger bread biscuits
- UK: Christmas pudding
- UK: Cinnamon Stars
- UK: Cranachan
- UK: Drop Scones
- UK: Fruit Scones
- UK: Festive mince pies
- UK: Gingerbread House
- UK: Hot Cross Buns
- UK: Middleton Marrow Chutney
- UK: Pancakes
- UK: Royal Custard Tart
- UK: Royal Easter biscuits
- UK: Royal Victoria Sponge Cake
On her 49th birthday, 17 May, Queen Máxima of the Netherlands shared the recipe of some Argentinian cookies. And looking at the pictures (you can recognise her engagement ring) she even did some baking herself. On social media the Queen wrote:
In this time I celebrate my birthday at home with a typical Argentinian delicacy: Alfajores with dulce de leche. I grew up with Alfajores, they are my favourite cookies!
I bake them according to my mother’s recipe, which I like to share with you. So you can bake them yourself at home! – Máxima”
I like to bake, but thus far my cookies didn’t look too nice, although they tasted well. Online there are several recipes in English, although they might not exactly be like Máxima’s mother. Apart from the cognac (where can I buy just one teaspoon of it?), the ingredients seem to be easy to find.
The recipe:
- 300g cornstach
- 200g flour
- 200g butter (room temperature)
- 150g sugar
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- the marrow from one small vanilla pod or a pinch of vanilla powder
- the grated zest of one lemon (optional)
- 1 teaspoon cognac
For the filling
- dulche de leche (bought or homemade)
- unsweetened shredded coconut
Preheat the oven to 160C.
Mix all dry ingredients (flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda) with the softened butter in a bowl.
Add the egg yolks and cognac and knead by hand into a firm dough. Form a ball and let it rest for about one hour. If it seems that the dough is not sticking together, add 2 spoons of lemon juice.
Roll out the dough into a rag from 5mm to 7mm and cut out circles of dough about 4cm in diameter – with a glass. Place the rounds on a baking tray lined with baking paper, about 2cm apart.
Bake the cookies at 160C for 10-12 minutes. The biscuits should colour a little. If they colour too much they will become dry and break.
Take the cookies out of the oven and let them cool.
Stick two cookies together with a layer of dulce de leche. Spread the dulce de leche to the edge. Then roll them through the coconut.
Other recipes in English:
Netty: I found a small bottle of cognac at the supermarket, (in the US) or try speciality bake shops (on-line or Ebay! You can also use a substitute, rum, bourbon. Happy Baking!!