Scones, Garlic Chicken, Coconut Cake

DEAR SOS: If possible, would you provide the recipe for scones from Cravings restaurant in Beverly Hills?

--S. A.

DEAR S. A.: Texture and taste of baked products may alter dramatically when quantity-size recipes are tampered with. Still, the capable chef at Cravings did his best to keep the chemical balance of the product on course when he reduced the recipe.

CRAVINGS’ SCONES

1/4 cup butter

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1 2/3 cups pastry flour

1/4 cup sour cream

2 1/2 tablespoons baking powder

Dash salt

Dash cinnamon

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

2/3 cup raisins, optional

In bowl blend butter and sugar until pale in color. Add pastry flour, sour cream, baking powder, salt and cinnamon, mixing until blended. Add whipping cream and blend well. Fold in raisins.

Gather dough into ball and turn out onto lightly floured surface. Press or roll out to 1-inch thickness in large rectangle or circle and cut with 2 1/4-inch round cutter. Place cut dough rounds on baking sheet. Bake at 300 degrees 22 minutes. Makes 8 scones.

Each serving contains about:

327 calories; 663 mg sodium; 52 mg cholesterol; 17 grams fat; 39 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 0.09 gram fiber.

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DEAR SOS: I’d like to locate a recipe for chicken baked with garlic and artichokes.

--CATHERINE

DEAR CATHERINE: Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic, a recipe inherited from James Beard, is made with artichokes. Don’t worry about the amount of garlic. The sharp flavor dissipates with cooking, leaving a strong but appealing taste.

CHICKEN WITH 40 CLOVES OF GARLIC

1 (3- to 4-pound) chicken

4 heads garlic, broken into cloves

1/2 cup olive oil

Salt, pepper

1 tablespoon mixed herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage and basil

4 to 6 boiling potatoes

8 to 10 baby artichokes, trimmed of tough outer leaves, or frozen artichokes

Bouquet garni made of 1 celery stalk with leaves attached, 2 sprigs parsley, 2 bay leaves, 1 sprig thyme

Flour

Water

Place chicken, garlic cloves and oil in 4- to 6-quart lidded casserole (earthenware if possible). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add mixed herbs. Add potatoes and artichokes. Mix well. Be sure all garlic cloves don’t fall to bottom of casserole. Bury bouquet garni in middle.

Place about 1/2 cup flour in mixing bowl and add enough cold water to make stiff paste. Roll out paste on floured board, adding more flour to paste if it seems sticky. Cut paste into long strips, about 1 1/2 inches wide. Moisten lip of casserole and line with dough strips. Moisten inside lip of casserole cover and place on top of casserole. Press dough with fingers so that firm seal is made between lid and casserole and no air can escape. Bake at 350 degrees 1 1/2 hours. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

756 calories; 329 mg sodium; 130 mg cholesterol; 54 grams fat; 34 grams carbohydrates; 40 grams protein; 2.24 grams fiber.

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DEAR SOS: I’d love the recipe for the white coconut cake from Schaber’s Cafeteria.

--J. K.

DEAR J. K.: Unfortunately, we don’t have that recipe. You might approve of a good substitute: the old Brown Derby dreamy coconut cake.

BROWN DERBY DREAMY COCONUT CAKE

1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup oil

3 eggs, separated

3 tablespoons grapefruit juice

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

White Mountain Frosting

Shredded coconut

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into bowl. Make well in center and add water, oil, egg yolks, grapefruit juice and lemon zest. Beat until very smooth.

Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff but not dry. Gradually add egg whites to batter and fold in gently until just blended. Do not stir.

Turn batter into ungreased 9-inch springform pan and bake at 350 degrees 30 minutes, or until top of cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool in pan on rack. Loosen edges of cake carefully and remove from pan. With serrated knife, cut cake crosswise to make 2 layers. Fill with part of White Mountain Frosting. Frost top and sides with remaining frosting. Sprinkle generously with coconut. Makes 8 to 12 servings.

Each serving contains about:

448 calories; 447 mg sodium; 80 mg cholesterol; 9 grams fat; 89 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 0.04 gram fiber.

White Mountain Frosting

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup water

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

Dash salt

2 egg whites

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

Combine sugar, water, corn syrup and salt in saucepan. Cook and stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Cover saucepan 2 to 3 minutes to dissolve sugar crystals on sides of pan. Uncover and continue cooking to soft ball stage (236 degrees on candy thermometer). Remove from heat.

Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Add hot syrup in slow stream, beating constantly. Blend in vanilla and continue beating until frosting holds deep swirls.