Cicero: Tatties turn potatoes into a Scottish-Irish favorite

Harry Larkin asked for a recipe for scones like the ones his mother used to make on a pancake griddle using leftover mashed potatoes. Readers were quick to tell us that this Scottish-Irish treat is better known as "tattie" or "fadge."

"Ye wouldna 'ave a proper breakfast in my grandmother"s home without tattie scones," Mary Clarke e-mailed. "I don"t have a proper accent anymore after nearly 60 years in America, but I still know how to make tattie scones, and do so often."

Margaret Proctor reports that in her family the scones are known as fadge, and are "popular throughout Ulster."

We received two types of recipes. In one, the potato mixture is cooked on a griddle or hot skillet, as Larkin remembers. In the other, it is baked so it is more like a bread. I've included both, but preferred the griddle method.

Either one is pretty plain, so you might want to add chopped onion or bacon bits for a savory scone or raisins for a sweeter one. Be aware that these are not the bread scones you"d find in a bakery, and rise to about an inch thick - a cross between a potato pancake and a hash-brown potato cake.

POTATO TATTIES (GRIDDLE SCONES)

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup warm, coarsely mashed potatoes

1 egg, beaten

About 1/4 cup milk

About 2 tablespoons melted butter

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Measure the flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Whisk to incorporate. Stir in the potatoes, egg and just enough milk to form a sticky dough.

Roll the dough 1/2 inch thick on a floured surface. Use a saucer to cut 3 rounds from the dough. Score each round into quarters, cutting not quite all the way through.

Grease a baking sheet with the butter and bake the scones about 15 minutes, until golden brown. Or brush the butter onto a griddle and cook the scones over medium heat for about 7 minutes on each side, until golden. Makes 12 scones.

Per serving: 78 calories (34 percent from fat), 2.9 g fat (1.5 g saturated, 0.8 g monounsaturated), 23 mg cholesterol, 2 g protein, 10.8 g carbohydrates, 0.5 g fiber, 205 mg sodium.

The shrimp and pasta with creamy garlic sauce at Cami's seafood restaurant was the best I ever tasted. Would it be possible to obtain that recipe? I know they have been closed for quite a while, but I would appreciate anything you can do.

- Ron Cochran

We first published this recipe from Dick Cami in 1989. It isn't complicated, but it is crucial that you follow the directions carefully or the sauce will be thin. Take care during the final cooking period, after you add the linguine, to keep the pasta from sticking while the sauce thickens. If you don't stir or toss vigorously, you'll end up with overcooked pasta or shrimp.

If you want to be sure the sauce isn't soupy, use heavy cream rather than half-and-half. Or you might want to dissolve a tablespoon of cornstarch in the half-and-half before adding it to the pan. I tried that with fat-free half-and-half, and it did the trick.

The garlic flavor is pretty subtle, so if you prefer a more pronounced punch, I'd suggest using four or more cloves.

CAMI'S SEASHELLS' LINGUINE WITH SHRIMP

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, sliced thin (or more to taste)

4 green onions, chopped fine

1 cup dry white wine

2 cups half-and-half

2 tablespoons chopped parsley plus more for garnish

3 pounds medium shrimp, shelled and deveined

1 pound linguine, cooked al dente

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the garlic and onions 2 minutes (do not allow to brown). Add the wine and cook, stirring, until liquid is reduced by half. Add the half-and-half, parsley and shrimp and bring to a boil. Add the cooked linguine and heat just long enough for pasta to warm and shrimp to turn completely pink. Stir constantly to avoid burning. Garnish with parsley and serve hot. Makes 6 servings.

Per serving: 702 calories (25 percent from fat), 18.9 g fat (7.4 g saturated, 6.7 g monounsaturated), 374 mg cholesterol, 58.6 g protein, 64 g carbohydrates, 2.7 g fiber, 378 mg sodium.

I'm a devoted fan of your column. I wait for it every week. I'm writing because my whole family is addicted to the Almond Pillow cookies at a gourmet market chain. They are the best cookies I've ever had, and I'd like to try and make these myself. Do you have a recipe?

Alas, the market was unwilling to share the recipe, saying it was "top secret." However, I think the recipe here will come close. It makes a delicious, tender, flaky cookie that you can fill as you like.

If you wish, scatter mini chocolate chips over the almond filling before "closing" the cookies or replace the almond mixture with Nutella. Or fill each cookie with 1/4 teaspoon each softened cream cheese and fruit preserves.

ALMOND PILLOW COOKIES

2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, cut into small pieces and chilled

1/3 cup ice water

8 ounces almond paste

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

2 tablespoons milk

Coarse sugar and/or ground almonds (optional)

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

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