Canapes Lorenzo

Fry colorless two ounces of onions cut in one-eighth of an inch squares, and when done add a tablespoonful of flour; let this cook for a few minutes without browning, then moisten with a pint of fresh cream; season with salt, cayenne pepper and nutmeg, and reduce it to the consistency of a well thickened sauce; now throw in one pound of crab meat sauted in butter over a brisk fire in a pan, letting it boil up once and then set it away to cool. Cut slices of bread a quarter of an inch thick; from it cut round pieces four inches in diameter, using a cutter for this purpose; divide them straight through the center to make two even-sized pieces of each, toast them on one side only; cover this side with two ounces of the crab preparation for each half round, and lay the following preparation on top: with the hands work in a tin basin half a pound of butter, add to it grated parmesan cheese, cayenne and white pepper, and knead these together, adding grated parmesan so as to form a thick paste; cover the entire canape with a layer of this butter and cheese, and set them on a buttered baking-sheet in the hot oven so they attain a fine color, then serve them as quickly as they are removed from the oven. They may be made round shaped two and a half inches in diameter if preferred.