Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and while the roast turkey, mashed potatoes, and yams take centre stage for mains, it's all about the pies for dessert. But if you aren't a fan of pumpkin pie or pecan pie, what alternative can you serve this holiday season?
Princess Diana's former personal chef, Darren McGrady, has shared an insight into what the royal family typically eats on Christmas Day – and it sounds like the perfect inspiration for a Thanksgiving gathering.
Darren explained that the royals would sit down for a formal luncheon of roast turkey with all the trimmings, followed by a flaming Christmas pudding for dessert. But later in the day, they would head back to the main dining room to indulge in an afternoon tea. Cue: Thanksgiving dessert ideas!
© Getty ImagesThe esteemed former royal chef will be joining HELLO! at an exclusive event in New York City on Monday 9 November, where he'll be sharing all of his Thanksgiving and Christmas cooking and hosting tips – plus regaling us with insider royal stories about his time working for Diana and the late Queen Elizabeth II. If you'd like to be in the room with us, buy your ticket below and scroll down for more information about our one-off event.
Darren has previously told HELLO!. "Not long after lunch, the royals would go in for afternoon tea. It was always the chocolate Yule log, which was a twist on the chocolate birthday cake, scones, mince pies, and the Christmas cake.
"We'd make one big Christmas cake for the Queen and the royal family and then another smaller one for the nursery for Prince William, Prince Harry, Zara and Peter Phillips, and Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. It was always fruit cake – royal icing, marzipan and the traditional fruit cake."
© Getty ImagesThe chocolate Yule log
Thinking of making the chocolate Yule log? This was one of the late Queen Elizabeth II's favourite desserts, considering she was a "chocoholic", said Darren. It was a variation of Her Late Majesty's birthday cake that she always requested and is made of chocolate sponge and chocolate ganache (a mixture of chocolate and cream). A traditional Yule log would have buttercream rather than ganache.
Potato starch is another surprising addition to the treat. Darren revealed the unexpected ingredient helps keep the sponge moist. Along with the coat of chocolate ganache, this allowed the Yule log to stay out in the royal dining room for three to four days. It was decorated with royal icing swirls to represent the rings of a tree as well as "moss" made from green marzipan.
© Getty Images/RooM RFWant more tips from Darren? Come to our royal event
For more ideas on how to host a royal-approved holiday this year with tips from Darren himself, check out HELLO!'s The Art of British Holiday Hosting event, which is taking place in New York City on Monday 9 November.
Over the course of an evening at St Peter's Chelsea church, the former royal chef will be sharing his ideas and advice on how to throw a stress-free Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner this year. Guests will be treated to a welcome drink and festive treats on arrival, including Britain's famed mince pies, before sitting down to hear Darren's words of wisdom.
As a former royal chef who cooked for Princess Diana and her sons Princes William and Harry for four years, and the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip for 11, Darren will also reveal fascinating anecdotes about his time at the palace.
During our event, guests will have the opportunity to ask royal and culinary-themed questions in our Q&A, and go home with a fabulous goodie bag.
Tickets are now open for our event, so if you want to be in the room with us, in a beautiful setting in the heart of New York City, now's the time to book before we sell out. Or, if you want to get your hands on a very heavily discounted ticket, sign up to become a HELLO! VIP member. Scroll down for more details below!
Discounted tickets
If you fancy buying a heavily discounted ticket to our event in November, become a HELLO! VIP member.
For just $6 a month, you'll get instant access to every weekly issue of HELLO! and back issues, plus more exclusive reporting and insider perspectives from Emily Nash and the editorial team. You'll also receive enhanced daily newsletters and invitations to other member-only events, plus more benefits.
If you can't make the event but would still like to be a part of it, the best way is to become a VIP member because our podcast recording will be sent out exclusively to our VIP club afterwards.
