JoyBugaloo

I went to Au Pain Dore again and sampled the lemon curd-filled confidences. Delicious! I also got some new clues about some of the ingredients of this elusive cookie. The little sign next to the basket of confidences said whipped egg whites, almond paste, powdered sugar, and flour. Still hoping for input and advice on a recipe to try if anyone can help. Thanks! --Gina http://lindseysluscious.blogspot.com

Ok, here's picture #2 of the inside: It must be kind of like a macaron, but not smooth. Egg whites are involved to be sure, and sugar, of course, and some kind of flour...rice flour maybe? Almond flour? Oh, can someone please help identify the makeup of this cookie? I would be eternally grateful! --Gina (http://www.lindseysluscious.blogspot.com)

Ah, RubyRed...I was just going to ask the same question when I saw your post! We have been enjoying the confidence cookies at Au Pain Dore' for years every time we visit Montreal, but I'd love to be able to make something like them at home. Maybe some of these egulleters can help us out! To help them help us, I have a couple of pictures of the cookie in question. (I can't figure out how to get two pictures in one post, so I'll do them separately.) --Gina http://www.lindseysluscious.blogspot.com

Ok, now I'm a woman OBSESSED! I have made a second batch of oignons confits, and this time, it was a very different version. Whereas the first one was rich and beefy, this one was lighter, much sweeter and tangier. It's also a beautiful ruby-red color! It's made by cooking the onions down in red wine, red wine vinegar, and grenadine (pomegranate syrup). If anyone is interested in trying it, here's the recipe. You can also check out my blog (link below) for a bad, blurry picture of the new confit. --Gina Lindsey's Luscious Sweet-and-Tangy Oignons Confits (Source: adapted from endlessbanquet.blogspot.com) about 2 1/2 pounds onions, peeled and finely minced (I prefer mine finely sliced for more texture) 2 cups grenadine syrup* 2 cups red wine 1 cup red wine vinegar 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper Cook the minced onions in a non-stick saucepan for about 10 minutes over medium-low heat. Add vinegar and red wine to the onions and reduce over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time. Lower the heat and add sugar and grenadine syrup*. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir well and simmer over medium heat for about an hour. The mixture will reduce considerably until it thickens and takes on the consistency of a proper confiture (like jam). Remove from heat and allow to cool. Place in jars and refrigerate. Yield will be between 1 1/2 to 2 pints.

I just wanted to share that I found a great pot in which to bake the no-knead bread. It's by a German company called Schulte-Ufer, and even though it's measured metrically, I would guess that it is about 3.75 quarts, and it's made of thick cast iron with a glass lid and a metal handle. And the best part is, I found it at T.J. Maxx for only 25 bucks! There's a picture of it on the company's web site (it's the smaller one on the left): Schulte-Ufer Cast Iron Pot It really helped my loaf bake up taller, about four inches high. So check out your local T.J. Maxx and see if you can find one. --Gina Lindsey's Luscious

Well, I'm obviously a little late to the onions confit party, but better late than never, eh? I found myself reading all (gulp!) 19 pages and some 600 posts about the magical condiment until 4am this morning, but before I finally turned in, I had my inaugural batch in the crock pot. It turned out GREAT, and we enjoyed it atop ribeyes with melted Danish bleu tonight for dinner with about a pint leftover. I just posted about it on my blog (link below), including the recipe and pictures if anyone is interested in the savory details. Basically, I swapped out balsamic vinegar for the sherry and replaced some of the onions with shallots. Delish! Thanks, everyone, for all the tips and advice. --Gina Lindsey's Luscious