A Bonnie Plate of Scones

DEAR SOS: During the holidays, I was a guest for tea at the Regent Beverly Wilshire, where we were served the world’s best scones. They would have made my Scottish grandmother beam with joy.

SCOTTI

DEAR SCOTTI: Mine too. Have a big party.

REGENT BEVERLY WILSHIRE

TEA SCONES

2 cups cake flour

2 cups bread flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, plus extra for greasing pan

1/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup currants

1 tablespoon sour cream

1 egg yolk

1 to 2 teaspoons water

Sift cake flour, bread flour and baking powder into bowl.

Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs and 1/4 cup milk. Add flour mixture, and partially mix. Add remaining 1/4 cup milk, currants and sour cream, and mix dough lightly but thoroughly.

Roll out dough 1/2 inch thick and cut into 2-inch rounds. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Beat egg yolk and water, and use to brush top of scones.

Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

30 scones. Each scone:

91 calories; 65 mg sodium; 28 mg cholesterol; 2 grams fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.11 gram fiber.

Tomato Mystery Solved

DEAR SOS: I hope you still have the very old recipe for Mystery Tomato Mold. I’ve used it for years, but lost all my recipes when my husband died and I had to move. A lot of the things didn’t get to move with me.

DORIS

DEAR DORIS: We still have the recipe. For those who are not familiar with this classic American salad, the mold was a popular tearoom or club luncheon salad in the ‘50s when flavored gelatin products came on the market. It worked well as a do-ahead salad that could stand for several hours without wilting or falling apart thanks to a hefty dose of nice, firm raspberry gelatin.

MYSTERY TOMATO MOLD

SOUR CREAM DRESSING

2 tablespoons prepared horseradish

1 pint sour cream

Salt

MOLD

3 (3-ounce packages) raspberry gelatin

1 1/4 cups boiling water

3 (1-pound) cans stewed tomatoes

6 drops hot pepper sauce

Salad greens

Stuffed green olives, optional

Cheese-flavored crackers, optional

SOUR CREAM DRESSING

Stir horseradish into sour cream. Season with salt to taste. Makes about 2 cups.

MOLD

Dissolve gelatin in hot water. Break up tomatoes and stir into gelatin. Stir in hot pepper sauce. Pour mixture into lightly greased 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Chill until firm.

Unmold on bed of greens. Garnish with stuffed green olives and cheese crackers. Serve with Sour Cream Dressing.

12 servings. Each serving with 1 tablespoon Sour Cream Dressing:

125 calories; 266 mg sodium; 17 mg cholesterol; 8 grams fat; 7 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 0.54 gram fiber.

* Rebecca Harvey plates from Freehand, Los Angeles.