Cookie Rookie: Baked Blooming Onion

1 large yellow onion

⅔ cup Panko breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning

½ teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon sea salt

2 egg whites

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use a large knife to cut off the top, about ¼-inch of the onion until a few of the inside layers are exposed. Be careful to cut the top side, not the root side. Peel the outermost layer of the onion down to the root, leaving the root as is.

2. Lay the onion cut side down on the cutting board. Then use a knife to section the onion into 16ths, beginning with your knife ⅛-inch away from the root and cutting straight down. You can cut more sections if you have an especially large onion. Once all cuts are complete, turn the onion over and set on a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. 

3. In a small bowl, combine panko, paprika, Cajun seasoning, and salt. Whisk the egg whites together in a separate bowl.

4. To coat the onion, start in sections. Coat each onion petal with egg whites and then sprinkle liberally with the panko mixtures.

5. Bake covered with aluminum foil for 5 minutes, then uncovered for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the onion is tender and the edges are browned.