Mardi Gras Florida Style!

Last weekend was one of my dear friends birthday, great reason for a party!  What better theme for a 40th Birthday Party than Mardi Gras, sorry, I cannot do all the black over the hill stuff!   I like things bright, fun and cheery, just like me.  But here was my problem, the friend I was having the birthday party for is the one who always decorates for my parties, she does an incredible job!  Our "partnership" always works out perfect, she decorates, I cook, she stays out of the kitchen, and I stay out of her table scapes!  We have had some great parties together, but for this one I was on my own.  I did enlist the help of my daughter and son in law, but they could not come till the afternoon of the party and I am way too impatient to wait that long to decorate.  So I did all I could before they came and then let Brie use her artistist touch to make everything look better while I finished in the kitchen. 

I decorated the house with a lot of flowers in the colors of Mardi Gras; Purple, Green and Gold (not sure why in the pictures the purple flowers look blue?)  And lots of masks and garland.

It was a beautiful evening for a party and we were all able to stay outside on the lanai.

We began the evening with crawfish, they were good and spicy.  Everyone had their choice of eating them as is, or dipping them in melted butter or cocktail sauce.  We could not convince anyone to "suck the heads out" even after a couple of beers.

We also had a raw oyster bar

Gordy and Rich could not shuck the oysters fast enough.  We were topping the oysters with Frozen Champagne Mignonette.  So easy to make and such a hit!  The recipe is below

Of course we had to toast to her birthday!

For dinner we had Shrimp Etouffee, Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya, Creole Rice and Mardi Gras Salad with Creole Mustard Dressing. For the Non-Spicy, a friend brought Mac and Cheese and I popped a ham in the oven.

For dessert, my daughter made the most incredible Chocolate Chip Cookies.  She used a recipe she found on Savory Sweet Life. 

Another friend brought brownies and a chocolate "to die for" cake.  Just in case we ran out of desserts, I made my old standby, Southern Comfort Cake.

Even our Cigar Store Indian got into the party spirit.

Oysters with Frozen Champagne Mignonette

1/4 cup shallot
3/4 cup pickled ginger
1/2 cup champagne
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh ground pepper
3/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chives -- chopped

In a food processor, combine shallots, ginger, champagne, sugar, pepper, and vinegar. Puree on med-high speed one minute. Pour mixture into a pie plate and freeze several hours.

Clean and shuck oysters. Place them on a serving platter. Remove champagne mignonette from freezer, and scrape one teaspoon of mignonette onto each oyster.

Sprinkle each oyster with chopped chives. Serve immediately.

A Valentine's Day Tea

Valentine's Day is less than 2 weeks away, what a great theme for our Afternoon Tea today at Rolling Pin! We had a full class today, 18 wonderful students ready to have some fun!  I began the day by preparing Cherry and Pistachio Scones.  I love these scones probably because I love maraschino cherries and pistachios!  These scones are so easy to prepare, especially when I used a silicone mat to line my rolling surface and a silicone mat to line my baking sheet.   I combined the flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon in a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter, I cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembled coarse crumbs. I squeezed the chopped cherries in a paper towel to get them as dry as possible, and then stirred them into the dry ingredients along with the chopped pistachios. I measured my milk into a 1 cup measuring cup, then whisked in the egg yolk.  I lightly floured the silicone mat I had ready on the counter and dumped the dry ingredients onto it.  I made a well in the middle and poured in half the milk mixture.  Using a bench scraper, I incorporated the liquid then made another well and add the rest of the milk.  I continued using the bench scraper until  the dry ingredients were moistened.  Then I gently kneaded the dough several times. I divided the dough in half and placed them on my silicone lined baking sheet.  I patted each half into a 6 inch round and using the bench scraper again, cut each round into 6 wedges, not separating them.  Barb, one of the wonderful Rolling Pin assistants brushed the scones with the egg whites and popped them in the oven. 

While the scones were in the oven, I prepared our Walnut and Cherry Brownies.  I used cherry candy oil instead of extract.  These oils are wonderful to use, much richer in flavor and highly concentrated.  They have a 3-1 ratio, meaning if your recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of extract, you will only need to use 1/3 teaspoon of oil.  I love all the flavors.   They come in, Pina Colada, Guava, Tropical Punch, Pineapple, Cherry, Grape, Strawberry, and Watermelon just to name a few.   Also, the bottles are smaller, so they are easier to store in my crowded kitchen!

The brownies were ready to go into the oven and scones were ready to come out.  While Barb, Theresa and MaryAnn plated and served the scones along with a cup of tea, I began assembling our first tea sandwich.  Today's selections were Deviled Ham and Pecan Tea Sandwiches, Herbed Vidalia Onion Tea Sandwiches and Chicken and Cherry Tea Sandwiches.  After I demonstrated how to assemble all three, I gave the students a break so they could begin their shopping and helped my great assistants make and plate all 3 choices.  It was a whirlwind 10 minutes!  By the time the students had made some of their purchases of cooking and baking supplies, the sandwiches were in front of their seats and ready to be enjoyed with another cup of Raspberry Tea.  At this time, I glanced up at the clock only to realize I was way behind schedule, we must have been having way too much fun!  I quickly mixed up the dough for our sugar cookies and popped it into the freezer and out of the oven came the brownies.  The dough was still sticky, but I was running out of time, so we had to continue on, sticky or not.  It actually became a great baking tip, if you rush the dough, your cookies will spread too quickly while baking.  Oh well, they were not beautiful, but at least they were yummy.  

While the sandwich dishes were being cleared, I demonstrated how easy it is to cut the brownies with a pizza cutter.  The secret is to line the pan with parchment paper, when cool, just lift it all out of the pan, place the brownies and parchment paper on a cutting board and slice with a pizza cutter, how easy is that!

Dessert was served, along with another cup of tea!   Not my prettiest plating, but they must have been good, there were none left!
Our next Afternoon Tea at Rolling Pin is Tuesday, February 16, which just happens to be Fat Tuesday.  What a perfect theme....

"A Mardi Gras Tea Party"

Pecan Scones

Bananas Foster Tea Sandwiches

New Orleans Muffuletta Tea Sandwiches

Curried Chicken Salad Tea Sandwiches
New Orleans Bread Pudding

If you are in the area, there are still 2 seats available, we'd love to have you!

Cherry Pistachio Scones

2 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup maraschino cherries -- drained and chopped
1/2 cup shelled pistachios -- chopped
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, separated
Preheat oven to 375° F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. Mix well. Using a pastry cutter, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cherries and pistachios. In a small bowl, combine egg yolk and milk. Add to the dry ingredients, stir until dry ingredients are moistened. On a lightly floured surface, gently knead dough several times. Divide dough in half and pat each half into a 6 inch round. Place on baking sheet. Cut into 6 wedges, do not separate.
In a small bowl, beat egg white. Brush over top of scones.  Bake for 17 - 22 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Deviled Ham and Pecan Tea Sandwiches


1/2 pound cooked ham -- cut into 1" pieces
1/2 medium onion -- quartered
3 large sweet gherkin
1/2 cup pecans -- toasted and cooled
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 teaspoon tabasco sauce
1/4 cup mayonnaise
16 slices white bread

Pulse all ingredients except bread in a food processor until finely chopped and combined well.
Spread ham mixture (1/4 cup per sandwich) between slices of bread. Discard crusts, then cut sandwiches into triangles.

"Knot" Your Ordinary Pretzel

I think I have mentioned before, I am not much of a baker, right?  One of my goals in 2010 is to try my hand at new and different things in the kitchen, especially baking breads.   I am so very lucky to have a husband that supports these goals, actually, he loves bread!  A couple of weeks ago he came home with a copy of Peter Reinhart's "Artisan Breads Every Day", I had been drooling over it the day before in the bookstore.  Of course that evening I read it cover to cover.  What a great book!  I have been trying my hand at many of the recipes.  I started a seed culture for sourdough, but it failed.  Not sure if it was due to the temperature in the house, I started it during that really cold spell we had in FL; the water, I used bottled water; or the flour, I used unbleached all-purpose.   I started another starter yesterday, this time using whole wheat flour and fresh pineapple juice, unfortunately, I have no control over the weather and it is going to be chilly all week again.  I will keep you posted as to the results.

Another recipe I could not wait try were the soft pretzels.  I love warm soft pretzels!  I also really love the pretzel rolls I have when I visit my parents in Williamsburg, VA!  So I decided to experiment with the recipe.  I shaped most of the dough the traditional way since I had promised to bring them to a party if they turned out.   I also made made two in the shape of a dinner roll.

I mixed the dough the afternoon before I planned to make them.  I do not have much experience with bread, I very carefully measured all the ingredients and made sure my water temperature was perfect.  I love my Oxo liquid measuring cups and my digital thermometer.  I used hot tap water and let it cool slightly in the cup until it was lukewarm or 95 degrees.  I then whisked in the yeast and let it hydrate for a minute. 

I combined the dry ingredients in my mixer using the paddle attachment.  I poured in the yeast mixture and the cooled melted butter and mixed at the lowest speed for about a minute.  I switched to the dough hook and mixed on the lowest speed for about 2 minutes, then let it rest for 5 minute to relax the gluten (and I guess if you are doing this by hand, it give the baker time to relax).  While the dough was resting, I  lightly floured my marble slab and oiled the bowl I was going to put the dough in.  I turned my mixer to med-low and let the dough hook work for another 3 minutes.  I did have to add a little more water as the dough seemed dry.  I transferred the dough to my floured surface and kneaded for another minute, then formed it into a ball and placed it in my oiled bowl, covered it with plastic wrap and then into the fridge it went.

  

I was amazed and very proud of myself; by morning the dough had doubled in size just as the recipe said it would, so far so good.  I must admit, I kept procrastinating all day to start playing with shaping the pretzels, I had never made a pretzel knot before!  I finally had to do it since the party was that evening and if they did not turn out, I would have to make some other type of appetizer.  (I work better under pressure sometimes)  I started with the easy part first, making the baking soda solution that I was to dip the pretzels in before I baked them, some warm water, baking soda and an egg white.  I then removed the dough from the fridge and using my bench cutter, I cut the dough into 16 pieces.  Using my scale, I weighed each piece to make sure they were 2 ounces as the books says, adjusting some as needed.  I figured since it was my first attempt, I should try to be as close to possible on size.  In the end, I had 17 2 ounce balls.   I wrapped two of the balls in plastic wrap and set them to the side to use as pretzels rolls and moved on to shaping the rest.  It was actually easier than I thought after I got the hang of it.  Since the directions say to roll each piece into a 17 inch rope, and I know that the marble slab I use for rolling out dough is 18 inches,  if I rolled the ropes edge to edge, I would be pretty close, especially after I learned that if the dough keeps shrinking back after I rolled it, to stop fighting with it, and let it rest for a couple of minutes.  The gluten has to relax.  The directions also said to taper the last 3 inches of each roll, so I measured my fingers and pefect, the width of my four fingers is just less than 3 inches, boy did that make it easy.  I worked with four pieces at a time, rolling one out, letting that one rest while I moved on to the next.  After I rolled all four, the first one had relaxed and shrunk back a couple of inches, so I re-rolled it, tapering the ends and shaped it. 

To my amazement, the first one turned out almost perfect.  I thought I was on a "roll" but have to admit, I got cocky and started trying to shape them too quickly and the next couple were not so easy.  I slowed down, took my time and before I knew it I had 15 mostly beautiful pretzels some not as pretty as others, but that was ok.

 Each pretzel then got dipped in the baking soda solution and placed on the silicone lined baking sheet, then sprinkled lightly with sea salt.   Into the 400 degree oven they went for 16 minutes.  I did rotate the pans halfway through for even browning.  While they were in the oven, I heated the baking soda solution on the stove.  I had read to do this while I was doing some research on pretzels and thought I would try it for the pretzel rolls.  When it reached a slight boil, I reduced the heat and shaped the 2 reserved balls, used my kitchen shears to snip a cross on the top and placed them in the simmering water for about a minute, flipping them to make sure they were coated top and bottom with the solution.  I removed them with a slotted spoon, placed them on a lined baking sheet, cut side up and lightly salted them.  By then the others were done, I removed them from the oven and popped in the "rolls".  I moved the pretzels to a wire rack and let them cool for about 10 minutes.  The rolls need about 20 minutes to turn a wonderful golden brown, they then went on the rack to cool.  I could not wait to try a roll, but I did hold off for 10 minutes as I knew they would be better after they cooled.  They were just as I remembered them in Williamsburg, crusty on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, yum!  I took the pretzels to the party and served them with a warm cheese dip, they all went!

Below is a quick summary of the recipe from the book.  I highly recommend purchasing the book as it has wonderful pictures to help with shaping the pretzels and some wonderful variations I can't wait to try.  Maybe the next Saucy video should be making pretzels, what do you think?

 

Pretzels (this recipe is adapted from Artisan Bread Every Day by Peter Reinhart)

1 teaspoon instant dry yeast
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water -- 95 degrees
4 1/2  cups unbleached bread flour
2 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoon melted butter
8 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups warm water
1 large egg white-- beaten
coarse sea salt

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Blend dry ingredients in bowl.  Pour in yeast mixture and butter.Combine with paddle attachment for 1 minute, switch to dough hook and knead dough until slightly smoother, about 2 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes.  Continue to knead with dough hook on medium low for 3 minutes, adjust water or flour as needed.  Turn out on lightly floured surface and knead by hand 1 minute.  Cover and let dough rise in fridge overnight or up to 4 days.

Cut dough into small pieces and roll into ropes. Twist ropes into pretzel shapes and place on silcone lined baking sheets. When all dough is shaped, combine water, baking soda and egg white in deep pan.  Dip pretzels in solutions then place back and baking sheets and sprinkle with coarse salt.
Bake at 400 degrees F. for about 16 minutes or until browned.  Cool on wire racks before serving.

January is National Hot Tea Month, Let's Celebrate With an Afternoon Tea!

A beautiful January day in Florida was the perfect day to celebrate National Hot Tea Month, I mean we did start the day in the mid 40's and by the time the tea started, it was in the 60's, a little chilly for our standards, great for a hot cup of tea!

We started our day with Wonderful Raisin Scones.  I decided, with the agreement of the students, to do a little experiment.  Instead of cutting in the butter with a pastry blender, I used a technique I learned from Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day.  I froze the butter for 30 minutes and then used the large holes on a box grater to grate the butter into the dry ingredients, tossing the "butter threads" often to evenly distribute them.   It worked wonderfully and was so much easier then using a pastry blender since I had doubled the recipe.  I also mentioned to our students, that by tossing the raisins in the dry ingredients, this helps them from clumping together or sinking to the bottom.  While the scones were in the oven I made the custard for our Fruit Tarts.  I combined the sugar, flour, and salt in a small mixing bowl, whisked it gently to break up any lumps, and set it aside. I prepared an ice water bath by filling a bowl halfway with ice and water  and set that aside. I combined the buttermilk and egg yolks in a small saucepan and whisked until smooth. I continued to whisk as I stirred in the dry ingredients and placed the pan over medium heat. I cooked, whisking constantly, until mixture was thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 4 minutes.  I removed the custard from the heat, and stirred in the vanilla bean paste. I then transferred custard to a small bowl nestled in the ice water bath and let cool, stirring to help it cool faster.  Since I was not using the custard immediately, I pressed plastic wrap on the surface of the custard to keep a skin from forming and chilled the custard in the refrigerator. 

When the scones were done, we removed them from the oven, and placed them on a plate with Devonshire Cream.  They were wonderful, warm, full of raisins and paired perfect with our English Breakfast tea!

We then moved on to our tea sandwiches.  Cheddar and Chutney (made with Major Grey's Mango Chutney), Cucumber and Dill served open faced and garnished with a fresh dill sprig and Chicken Salad with Smoked Almonds.  We used the finely chopped smoked almonds to "decorate" one side of the sandwiches by just lightly spreading some mayonnaise on a side and dipping it in the almonds.  What a great plate presentation it was!

While everyone was enjoying their sandwiches and another cup of tea, I prepared the Lemon Poppy Seed Tea Cakes and popped them into the oven.  While they were baking I mixed up the glaze, mentioning that we were leaving the glaze thick since we would be drizzling it over very warm muffins.  I then removed the custard from the fridge, spooned a little into our pre-cooked mini tart shells and topped each with combo of blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and a little sliced mango.  By then, the muffins were done and we plated the desserts.  Yummy.  Our Afternoon Tea at Rolling Pin was so much fun, I can't wait until our next one on Wednesday, February 3

"A Valentine's Day Afternoon Tea"

Cherry Scones

Deviled Ham and Pecan Tea Sandwiches

Herbed Vidalia Onion Tea Sandwiches

Chicken and Cherry Tea Sandwiches

Walnut Cherry Brownies

Heart Shaped Sugar Cookie

There are still a couple of seats available, we would love for you to join us!!

Lemon Poppy Seed Tea Cakes

Tea Cakes
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
10 tablespoons butter -- softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon zest

Lemon Glaze
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup confectioner's sugar

Adjust the oven rack to the middle-lower part of the oven. Preheat oven to 375°F.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, poppy seeds, and salt and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together, beating until fluffy (about 2 minutes with an electric mixer). Add eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated after each one. Beat in the lemon zest. Beat in one half of the dry ingredients until just incorporated. Beat in one third of the yogurt. Beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients. Beat in a second third of the yogurt. Beat in the remaining dry ingredients and then the remaining yogurt. Again be careful to beat until just incorporated. Do not over beat.
Use a standard 12-muffin pan. Coat each muffin cup lightly with olive oil, grapeseed oil, or a little melted butter using a pastry brush. Distribute the muffin dough equally among the cups. Bake until muffins are golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Test with a long toothpick (we use a thin bamboo skewer) to make sure the center of the muffins are done. Set muffin pan on wire rack to cool. After 5 minutes, remove muffins from pan.
While the muffins are cooling, in a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice for the glaze. Add more lemon juice if necessary. While the muffins are still a bit warm, use a pastry brush to brush the glaze over each muffin. The muffins will absorb some of the glaze, so you add more glaze to each muffin if you like.

Wonderful Raisin Scones

3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter -- chilled and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 cup raisin
3 large eggs -- divided
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon milk
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat, or spray with non-stick cooking spray.  In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut butter into flour mixture until particles are the size of small peas; stir in raisins. In a medium bowl, beat 2 eggs lightly with 1 cup milk. Add to flour mixture; stir just until mixed.
On a lightly floured surface, knead dough gently. Pat or roll out the dough into a circle 1/2-inch thick. Using a lightly greased and floured 3-inch biscuit cutter, cut into rounds, cutting close together to generate as few scraps as possible. Dip cutter into flour as often as necessary to keep dough from sticking. Push scraps of dough together so that edges join; firmly pinch edges with fingertips to make a partial seal. Pat this remaining dough to 1/2-inch thick; continue to cut 3-inch rounds. Space 1-inch apart onto prepared baking sheet.  When making scones, work the dough quickly and do not over mix. The scones can be cut into any shape you desire. Use a drinking glass to make circles, or cut into squares or wedges with a knife. Dip the edges of the cutter in flour to prevent the dough from sticking. Do not pat the edges of the scone down; instead leave the cuts as sharp as possible to allow the scones to rise in layers.
In a small bowl, combine 1 egg and 1 tablespoon milk; brush onto scones. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and serve warm.

Make Ahead Tip: When the scones are cool, wrap airtight and hold at room temperature for up to one day or freeze to store longer. To reheat, unwrap scones (thaw wrapped, if frozen) and place onto a baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degrees oven 8 to 10 minutes or until warm.

Julia Child's French Onion Soup

The weather has gotten a lot warmer in Florida, but a bowl of French Onion Soup still sounded wonderful!  Julia Child's French Onion Soup to be exact.  But first, I have to brag on my kids and their PERFECT Christmas presents.  Our daughter, the artsy one of the family, and her husband, the techno guy, gave me a 9-disc set of Julia Child's cooking shows.  I love it and have so enjoyed watching them EVERY chance I get.   Our son, the practical law student, gave me something I really needed.....2 'Ove' Gloves.  They are wonderful and I have not burned my hands since Christmas, it used to be at least a weekly occurence!  With Julia's video "Your Own French Onion Soup' playing and my "Ove" gloves at the ready, it was time to cook.

Julia, of course, slices her onions with a knife; a mandoline was my tool of choice!  I have experimented with onions and I think just regular yellow onions are the best.  Sweet onions are too sweet for the soup and red onions add a less than desirable color to the finished product.  One thing I learned from her show is that you first need to cook the onions, before you brown them. I heated the butter and the oil in my dutch oven, added the onions, stirred them around until coated then covered them with the lid and reduced the heat.

While the onions were simmering, I made Julia's "croutes" (toasted bread), I drizzled each side of the bread slices with a bit of olive oil and place them on a silpat lined baking sheet. I baked the croutes for 30 minutes in 325 degree oven, turning after 15 minutes.  After about 20 minutes, I removed the lid, gave the onions a quick stir, then sprinkled in some sugar and salt, turned up the heat and carmelized the onions.

Once the onions were browned and reduced significantly, I reduced the heat to medium-low and added 3 tablespoons flour. I stirred them around for about 2-3 minutes trying not to scorch the onions and the flour.  While I was stirring the onions, I warmed the stock in the microwave.  See, I can multi-task!  When the flour was browned, I stirred in 1 cup of warm stock, scraping the bottom of the pan to get up all of the cooked-on bits. I added the rest of the stock, the wine, the sage, and the bay leaf to the pot and simmered for 30 minutes, covered.  I turned on my broiler to low and removed the bay leaf and added 3 tablespoons of cognac and grated half 1/2 of a raw onion into the soup, this gives it a richer flavor. Since dinner was just for the two of us, I placed one "croute" in each of our soup bowls, ladled in some soup and topped it off with some grated Fontina cheese.  Under the broiler they went for just a couple of minutes, I watched them closely.  When the cheese was bubbly and lightly browned, I used my 'Ove' gloves and easily removed the bowls to our serving plates.  We did let them cool slightly before enjoying.  Oh, I cannot wait for the leftovers tomorrow!

French Onion Soup (from Mastering the Art of French Cooking)

5 cups yellow onions -- thinly sliced
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons flour
6 cups beef stock
1 cup wine (dry red or white)
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
salt and pepper -- to taste
12 ounces swiss cheese -- grated
4 ounces parmesan cheese -- grated
1/2 yellow onion
3 tablespoons cognac
8 French Baguette slices
4 tablespoons olive oil -- for drizzling

Place heavy bottom stock pot or dutch over over medium-low heat.  Add 1 Tablespoon cooking oil and 2Tablespoons butter to pot.   Add sliced onions and stir until they are evenly coated with the oils.  Cover and cook for about 20 minutes until they are very tender and translucent.

To brown or caramelize the onions turn heat under pot to medium or medium high heat.  Add 1/2 tsp sugar and 1 tsp salt and continue to cook uncovered, stirring frequently until the onions have browned and reduced significantly.

Once caramelized, reduce heat to medium-low and add 3 Tbs flour to the onions.  Brown the flour for about 2-3 minutes trying not to scorch it. (If the flour does not form a thick paste, you can add a bit more butter here).

Stir in about 1 cup of warm stock, scraping the bottom of the pan to get up all of the cooked-on bits.  Add the rest of the stock, wine, sage, and bay leaf to the soup.  Simmer for 30 minutes.

To make the "croutes" (toasted bread), heat oven to 325 degrees F.  Drizzle each side of the bread slices with a bit of olive oil and place on baking sheet.  Cook the croutes for 15 minutes in oven on each side (30 minutes total).

Check the soup for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed.  Remove the bay leaf (if you can find it).
Transfer to a casserole dish.  At this point you can add the 2-3 Tbs cognac and grate the 1/2 raw onion into the soup.  Add a few ounces of the swiss cheese directly into the soup and stir.

Place the toasted bread in a single layer on top of the soup.

Sprinkle the rest of the cheese in a thick layer on top of the bread making sure to cover the edges of the toast to prevent burning.

Drizzle with a little oil or melted butter.

Place in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes.

Turn on broiler and brown cheese well.

Let cool for a few minutes.