Winter Comfort Food
The Best Slow Cooker French Onion Soup
Ingredients:
Cooking onions, thinly sliced (about 8 cups)
3 tbsp butter, cubed
1/4 tsp salt
4 1/2 tsp all-purpose flour or cornstarch
3 tbsp vermouth, or dry white wine
900- ml carton beef broth
1/3 cup water
1 demi-baguette
1 tbsp butter, at room temperature
2 cups grated gruyere or emmental cheese
Directions:
Combine onions with butter and salt in slow cooker insert. Season with fresh pepper. Cover and cook on high until onions are soft and dark brown – it takes about 6 hours.
Stir in flour until well combined. I shake my flour with a little bit of the water I am adding. Stir in vermouth. Scrape up brown bits from bottom.
Add broth and water. Cover and continue cooking on high for 1 1/2 hours.
Position rack in top third of oven. Preheat broiler. Cut bread (or homemade croutons) into 8 slices, each 1/2 in. thick. Butter both sides and place on a baking sheet. Broil until lightly golden, about 1 min per side.
Arrange 4 oven-safe soup bowls on a baking sheet. Ladle soup into bowls. Top each with 2 toasts or croutons. Sprinkle with cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly, 2 to 4 min.
Brownies
1/2 cups (125 mL) butter
4 oz. (115 g) semi-sweet chocolate, chopped OR 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
3/4 cup (175 mL) sugar
1/2 cup (125 mL) all purpose flour
1/4 cup (50 mL) cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
½ cup (125 mL) chocolate chips (semi-sweet, milk and white chocolate)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease and line a 9” x 9” (2.5 L) baking dish with parchment paper overlapping 2 sides for easy removal or spray with a good baking spray.
Melt butter and chocolate together in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Reserve.
Whisk eggs and sugar in a medium bowl until well combined. Fold in melted butter and chocolate.
Combine flour, cocoa and salt in a small bowl. Add to egg mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.
Spoon batter into prepared baking dish.
Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, or just until the top of the brownies is firm to the touch.