It seems Prince William is surprisingly fussy about his desserts! He has one rule regarding brownies that he just won’t budge on, according to his wife.
The Prince and Princess of Wales marked the third anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s passing on Monday, 8 September, with a visit to the National Federation of Women’s Institutes.
It was a particularly poignant tribute to her late Majesty, who was a member for nearly 80 years and was President of the Sandringham WI from 2003 until her death in 2022.
Prince William is “very fussy” about brownies
During the visit to the Berkshire WI in Sunningdale on Monday, the royal couple chatted with members over some baked goodies, including a brownie, which is apparently a particular favourite of the Prince of Wales.
“I know my brownies,” said William, as he tucked into a plate of cake.
Kate interjected playfully, “William’s very fussy about it.”
“You didn’t put nuts in them, did you?” he jokingly asked one of the women, then nodded approvingly when she answered in the negative. “Never put nuts in brownies!”
“I had to learn the hard way!” said Kate, which drew giggles from those nearby.
The future King also showed his sense of humour when one of the women jested that William would have to put on a skirt to become an honorary male member of the WI. He cheekily replied, “Well, for a chocolate brownie, Hilary, you never know what I’ll do.”
Experiencing a brownie craving yourself? Check out our collection of recipes (with or without nuts!).
Former royal chef shares the secret ingredient he put into the Prince’s brownies
Chef Darren McGrady, who served as one of the royal chefs at Kensington Palace for 15 years, has shared the royal recipe he used to make for Princes William and Harry when they were young.
“It has a secret ingredient in there,” says Darren. “If Nanny ever found out, I would have been in real trouble!”
(Incidentally, “Nanny” used to enjoy them “cold, and sliced into little fingers for afternoon tea”.)
Darren’s secret ingredient? Espresso coffee!
He shares that the recipe brings back fond memories of Prince William and his brother Harry as young boys, sitting around the table at Kensington Palace on a Saturday night, watching TV and “wolfing down” his brownies, which he served with ice cream. They would compete to see who could eat the most. Let’s just hope they slept well after eating espresso-laced brownies!
Darren also expressed a wish that one day, William and Harry will be able to sit together one day, over a plate of brownies and ice-cream, and “become friends again”.
Royal Brownie recipe
Makes 16
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (170 g) dark chocolate chips
- ¼ cup (60 ml) brewed espresso
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- pinch salt
- ¾ cup (90 g) plain flour
- 1 cup (170 g) dark chocolate chips
Method
Step 1.
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lightly grease a 20x25cm pan.
Step 2.
Melt the butter and chocolate chips in a large bowl, either in the microwave for 2 minutes, or over a pot of boiling water.
Step 3.
Whisk in the sugar followed by the vanilla, eggs, flour, and espresso.
Step 4.
Scrape into a prepared baking tray and bake for about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven to cool before cutting.
