Recipe(tried): French Onion Soup Gratinee and Harvest Apple Cake

This meal came about as the result of two events. When I was at Target shopping for goodness knows what, I saw the nicest soup bowls (crocks) with lids and a handle. In the past when I have made onion soup, I had to use soup bowls without handles - straight-sided "doolollies." It seemed more than a little hazardous to remove them from a hot oven and onto plates, so I have been wanting bowls for onion soup for quite a long time - even had them on my Christmas list but Santa wasn't paying attention, I guess. After buying them, I knew I had to make onion soup. The recipe is from the Williams-Sonoma cookbook entitled Soups. Then, while my girls were home, they went apple picking and brought home more apples than I practically knew what to do with. The recipe for the Harvest Apple Cake came from a newspaper clipping and is one I have wanted to try. I also served a green salad with the soup.

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FRENCH ONION SOUP GRATINEE
Source: The Williams-Sonoma Collection: Soup
Servings: 6-8

"The secret to a good onion soup is to cook the onions very slowly so their sugar content can carmelize. In old Paris bistros, the soup would be made with water - the deeply carmelized onions providing the only flavor and color. Good meat stock makes it taste even better. For a more complex flavor still, saute some thinly sliced leek or shallot with the onions. You can also sprinkle on grated Parmesan before adding the Gruyere or Swiss cheese."

1/2 cup (4 oz./125g) unsalted butter (I used 6 tablespoons rather than the 8 called for)
4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
5 cups (49 fl. oz./1.25 l) meat stock, (using the recipe in this cookbook. Instead, I used 1 quart Kitchen Basics beef stock and 1 cup homemade chicken stock since the meat stock recipe from this book calls for both meaty beef bones and chicken parts in addition to other ingredients.)
2 bay leaves
freshly ground pepper
1/2 lb. (250g) Gruyere or Swiss cheese, shredded
2 to 6 slices French bread, 1/2-inch (12mm) thick and toasted golden brown

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the onions and sprinkle to taste with salt. Stir to coat well with the butter, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until very tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

Remove the cover, raise the heat slightly and saute, stirring frequently, until the onions are a deep caramel brown, about 1 hour; take care not to let them burn.

Add the stock and bay leaves (I also added a pinch of dried thyme leaves), bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer about 30 minutes more.

Meanwhile, preheat a broiler (griller).

Discard the bay leaves. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into heavy flameproof serving crocks or bowls placed on a baking sheet or broiler tray. Sprinkle a little of the cheese into each bowl, then place the toasted bread slices on top. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining cheese.

Broil (grill) until the cheese is bubbly and golden, 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately.

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HARVEST APPLE CAKE
Servings: 12

4 cups peeled, diced tart apples
2 cups sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon (I used 1 1/2 tsp. since I'm a cinnamon fan.)
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts

In a large mixing bowl, mix, peeled, diced apples with the sugar. Let stand 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube or bundt pan.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.

Beat eggs and combine with oil and vanilla. Add egg mixture to the apple mixture. Stir in the flour mixture until well blended. Stir in the walnuts. Pour into the prepared tube or bundt pan.

Bake for 1 hour. Test for doneness with a toothpick.

Frost with confectioners sugar icing (I used a thin confectioner's sugar/water glaze and spooned it over the cake.)