This Sweet British Dessert Was A Favorite Of Princess Diana's

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Few members of the British royal family have captured the hearts and attention of the public like the late Princess Diana. The world was so captivated by her that people couldn't get enough details about her life, including the things she ate. As it turns out, the style icon and humanitarian kept her diet pretty simple and nutritious; stuffed bell peppers and fish were favorites. But when she craved something sweet, she'd ask her chef, Darren McGrady, to whip up a pan of bread and butter pudding, which is basically a bread pudding with extra butter.

McGrady has never been shy about discussing what he cooked for Diana and Queen Elizabeth II, and on an episode of "Goodtaste with Tanji," McGrady explained that Diana thought his was the "best bread ... pudding in the world" (via YouTube). He even included the recipe in his cookbook, "Eating Royally."

At its core, McGrady's version is defined by its attention to detail: It features layers of cubed bread and amaretto-soaked raisins, capped with butter-drenched triangles of crustless bread. This base is then elevated by a rich custard of egg yolks, sugar, vanilla bean paste, and heavy cream, all baked to a golden finish. It is served with a scatter of sliced almonds and, while the royal family favored pairing it with French or German dessert wines, a cup of coffee or tea would complement it delightfully as well.

If anyone knows how to make excellent bread and butter pudding, it's the British, and especially a British chef like Darren McGrady, who cooked for one of the most recognized royal families in the world. This is because the dish was supposedly created in England in the 11th century, where it served as a creative way to utilize leftovers. Stale bread was often soaked in water to soften it, then mixed with spices or sugar — really, anything to give it some interest and flavor. But this wasn't a dish for royals at the time; rather, it was for the poor, as it was filling and a good use of ingredients that were otherwise past their prime.

It wasn't until the 1400s that the dish began to incorporate ingredients like eggs, milk, butter, or other fats. By the 1600s, however, it can be assumed that royalty were noticing the concept of bread pudding. King Henry VIII of England supposedly enjoyed a dish called aleberry, which was made of stale bread, sugar, and ale.

Today, of course, bread pudding is considered an indulgence for countless people, regardless of their social status. It's sweet, creamy, rich, warm, and super comforting. Even royals like Princess Diana couldn't resist its charms. While amaretto-soaked raisins are a delicious addition, there is no shortage of add-ins you can use to make bread and butter pudding your own. From warm spices like nutmeg and cinnamon, to chocolate chunks, and ingredients like citrus zest or booze like Irish whiskey (which is what Andrew Zimmern adds to his recipe), there are many ways to take bread pudding to the next level.