Shamrock Irish Onion Soup

Total Time: 2 hrs 45 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 1 hr 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1/4 cup butter
• 8 leeks, & pale green parts only, split lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices (about 4 cups)
• 1 onion, halved, sliced crosswise
• 3 -4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup irish whiskey
• 2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans beef broth
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (1/2 of 17-1/2 oz. package)
• 1 egg
• 4 ounces grated cheddar cheese (1 cup, finely grated) or 4 ounces parmesan cheese (1 cup, finely grated)

Recipe

• 1 wash leeks well under running water, separating layers with your fingers, as they can be very sandy. slice and check over again for sand.
• 2 in pot, melt butter over medium heat. add sliced leeks, onion & garlic; cook 8 minutes. add sugar and pepper. reduce heat to low; cook, stirring 25-30 minutes. add whiskey; cook scraping up browned bits, about 3 more minutes. add broth and simmer 15 minutes.
• 3 pastry:.
• 4 on floured surface, unfold pastry. with 3" shamrock cookie cutter, sharply cut 6 shamrocks. place on ungreased baking sheet. beat egg with 1 t. of water and brush over shamrocks. freeze 20 minutes. meanwhile, preheat oven to 375; remove shamrocks from freezer and bake 15 minutes. cool on baking sheet on rack.
• 5 note: if you have no shamrock cookie cutter, use a 1" round sharp cookie cutter. using firm downward pressure, cut 18 circles from pastry. (don't twist) use a knife to cut 6 1-1/2" x 1/4" strips for stems. on ungreased baking sheet, form shamrocks by wetting edges of one circle and attaching one strip for the stem. lay 2 more circles, edges touching, slightly overlapping first circle. repeat with remaining circles and stems to form 5 more shamrocks. brush with egg wash and proceed as directed above.
• 6 to serve, divide hot soup among six 1 cup heated bowls. sprinkle with finely grated cheddar or any favorite cheese until it melts slightly. float puff pastry shamrock on top and serve.