Scones, <i> Potage</i> , Tutti Frutti

DEAR SOS: Why is it so hard to find a good scone in America? I see them sold everywhere, but these floury, muffin-like things are not what we’d call scones in England. Do you have a recipe for a real English scone?

--LIZ FROM LONDON

DEAR LIZ: These scones should give you a taste of home. The recipe is from Sheila Ricci, a hostess and fine cook who is from Manchester, England.

SHEILA RICCI’S SCONES

1 cup self-rising flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Dash salt

1/3 cup currants

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut up

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1/4 cup buttermilk or soured milk

1 teaspoon lard or vegetable shortening

Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and currants in bowl. Work in butter until crumbly.

Mix egg, egg yolk and buttermilk with lard and mix lightly but thoroughly into flour mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto greased baking sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees 12 to 15 minutes or until pale golden. Makes 12 scones.

Each serving contains about:

144 calories; 144 mg sodium; 61 mg cholesterol; 9 grams fat; 14 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.15 gram fiber.

DEAR SOS: I wonder if you could help me find a recipe for steak potage , a soup I believe was served on Clinker-Dagger’s Bickenstaff and Pitts menu when they were in Portland, Ore. I would like to send the recipe to my sister as a birthday present.

--NANCY

DEAR NANCY: The recipe is alive and well and has been popular among our readers since 1982 when Clinker-Dagger’s shared the recipe. It makes a surprisingly good summertime main-dish buffet soup served with crusty French bread and a green salad.

CLINKER-DAGGER’S STEAK SOUP

1 cup butter or margarine

1 1/2 cups chopped onions

1 1/2 cups sliced peeled carrots

1 cup diced celery

1 cup flour

1 pound ground beef

2 1/2 quarts water

1 (8-ounce) can chopped tomatoes

1/3 cup beef stock base

Pepper

1 (10-ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, carrots and celery. Saute until onions are tender, about 15 minutes. Add flour and stir until well blended and smooth. Cook until mixture boils around edges, but do not overcook or roux will break down. Set aside.

Crumble ground beef on baking sheet with sides and pat into 1-inch-thick layer. Bake at 350 degrees 15 to 20 minutes or until meat is browned. Color of beef will determine color of soup.

Drain. Break meat into 1/2-inch chunks. Add half of water to saucepan containing vegetables. Cook 10 minutes until mixture comes to simmer. Add tomatoes, beef chunks and beef stock base. Season to taste with pepper. Cook and stir 10 minutes. Add remaining water and frozen vegetables. Cook 5 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender. Do not boil. Makes 16 cups.

Each serving contains about:

287 calories; 1,439 mg sodium; 63 mg cholesterol; 22 grams fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams protein; 0.82 gram fiber.

DEAR SOS: I am looking for a recipe for fruit sauce made with brandy and sugar. You keep adding fruit to a jar and at the right stage you can share the starter with someone. I don’t have a name for the concoction.

--VENA

DEAR VENA: There are as many names for brandied fruit as there are cooks. Some of the more popular are Tutti Frutti, fruit crock pot and Rumtopf. Here’s a recipe for Tutti Frutti using fruit plentiful during summer, the perfect season to start a pot to which you can add throughout the year. You can, however, use any combination--or even a single fruit--to make this colorful dessert sauce usually served over ice cream, angel food or pound cake or eaten as a dessert by itself. And keep in mind that these sauces make great holiday gifts.

TUTTI FRUTTI

1 cup brandy

1 cup whole or halved strawberries

1 cup fresh pineapple chunks

1 cup dark pitted sweet cherries

1 cup red raspberries

1 cup peeled, pitted and sliced apricots

1 cup peeled, pitted and sliced peaches

1 cup currants, optional

7 cups sugar

Use large crock with lid or 3-quart glass jar. Do not fasten lid tightly. Place brandy in jar and add 1 cup fruit of choice and 1 cup sugar. Add each fruit as it comes in season, adding as much sugar as fruit each time. Stir occasionally to dissolve sugar but do not crush fruit. Store in cool place. When all sugar is dissolved, secure lid. Fruit will keep indefinitely. Makes about 10 servings.

Each serving contains about:

626 calories; 2 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 148 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.68 gram fiber.

Only recipes of general interest will be printed. Send recipe request to Culinary SOS, Food Section, The Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053. Include restaurant address when requesting recipes from restaurants. We are unable to answer recipe requests by mail.