French Onion Soup

6 servings

Ingredients  

1 tbsp canola oil

6 large onion, sliced (about 3 pounds)

1⁄2 tsp salt

1 tbsp all-purpose flour

3 sprig fresh thyme

1⁄2 tsp fresh thyme, leaves

1⁄4 tsp pepper, freshly ground

4 cup reduced-sodium beef broth

4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 oz goat cheese, at room temperature

6 slice french bread, toasted (3/8 inch slices) or homemade

Instructions:

Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and salt; cook, first tossing with tongs and when they begin to wilt, stirring occasionally with a spoon, until pale golden brown and very soft, about 35 minutes.

Stir in flour and cook, stirring occasionally, until the flour is lightly browned, about 2 minutes.

Transfer the onions to a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker. Add thyme sprigs and pepper. Pour broth over the onions. Cover and cook until the flavors are blended 4-5 hours on High or 8-10 hours on Low. Discard thyme sprigs when done.

Combine cheese and thyme leaves in a bowl. Spread mixture over the bread slices. Ladle soup into bowls, top each serving with a bread slice. Enjoy!

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French Crullers

Ingredients

For the French Crullers

1. 1 cup water
2. 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3. 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4. 1/4 teaspoon salt
5. 1 cup all-purpose flour
6. 3 large eggs
7. 2 egg whites, slightly beaten
8. canola oil for frying

For the Glaze

1. 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3. 2-3 tablespoons milk

Instructions

1.  In a saucepan, stir together water, butter, sugar and salt. Bring to a rapid boil and stir in all of the flour. Continue cooking over medium-high heat and keep stirring. Mixture will be ready once a thin film starts to form over the bottom of the pan. The longer you can cook the mixture, the lighter your crullers will be. Just be careful not to burn the dough.
2. Transfer the dough to the bowl of your electric mixer and with the paddle attachment, stir it for a minute or two. Add first egg and stir until completely incorporated. Repeat with second and third egg. Finally, stir in egg whites and mix to combine. Dough should be smooth and glossy.
3. Heat the canola oil in a large saucepan until it reaches 370 degrees F or preheat your oven to 450 degrees F (if baking). Cut out 12 parchment paper squares (about 3x3 inches) or line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray lightly with cooking spray.
4. Fill a piping bag fitted with a star tip with the dough. Pipe a ring of dough onto each individual square or onto the lined baking sheet.
5. For those that are baking these crullers, place baking sheet in the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake for another 15 minutes or until crullers are golden. Turn off heat, open the oven door and let crullers sit for 5 minutes before removing and glazing. For those that are frying these, line a plate with paper towels and place next to the saucepan containing the oil. Place one or two crullers at a time into the oil, paper side up. Remove parchment paper from the hot oil using kitchen tongs. Fry crullers two minute per side, remove from the oil and place onto prepared paper towel-lined plate to get rid of excess oil. Transfer to a wire rack to let cool. Repeat with remaining crullers.
6. While the crullers are cooling, prepare the glaze. Combine all of the ingredients and mix until well incorporated. Drizzle glaze over crullers while still slightly warm.
   
      Enjoy!

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French Onion Soup

8 -10 servings
INGREDIENTS

For the base:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
8 cups beef broth*
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic, minced
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

For serving:
4 to 5 cups cubed crusty bread (I use a multi-grain loaf)
freshly shredded gruyere cheese






INSTRUCTIONS
Turn on your crockpot and set it to high. Add in the butter chunks and then put on the cover. Once the butter is melted, add in the onions. Mix to combine. Put on the cover and let cook for about 1 hour.
After the first hour, give the onions a good stir. Place a double layer of paper towels under the lid (which will help to absorb some of the moisture - you’ll want to replace this layer about 2 to 3 times during the cooking process). Continue to cook on high for about 5 to 6 additional hours, stirring the onions about every 35 to 45 minutes.** You want the onions to be a caramel color. Toward the end of the cooking time, keep a closer eye on the onions (you don’t want to let them burn and may need to stir them more often).
Discard the paper towels. Turn down the crockpot to low. Add in the broth, bay leaf, garlic, salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 1 hour. Discard the bay leaf and then taste and adjust with additional salt/pepper if needed.
Preheat your broiler. Place oven-safe bowls or crocks on a baking sheet. Spoon the soup into the bowls. Place a handful of bread cubes in each bowl and then sprinkle the top with some of the cheese. Broil for about 2 to 4 minutes, until the cheese is golden and bubbly.

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