I have found that "healthy" alternatives to more indulgent fare almost always fail to live up to their claims (for example, see my Note on Low-fat Brownies from 2009). For some reason though, when I saw the Baked Onion Rings recipe in the latest issue of the Vegetarian Times, I immediately felt that I had to try this healthier preparation to the traditionally fried (and delicious) snack. Generally, this might be a sign that my favorite fried foods -- jalapeno poppers, mozzarella sticks, onion rings, and cottage cheese pakoras -- have far too great of a hold on me.
These baked onion rings were fantastic! Crisp, sweet, and not greasy at all! The preparation was a little messy (dipping the onion segments into the batter with my hands), but could not be simpler to make. I now don't understand why anyone would fry onion rings -- and risk a soggy, oily mess -- when baked onion rings taste just as good, if not better! The only caution I would have in making this recipe is to make sure you are preparing them for a crowd -- I halved the recipe and still ended up with many too many rings for two of us who ate them.
