Salt and Pepper Carefully skin the onions and cut the root end so the onion will sit upright. Cut the stem end flat and core out the center of the onion with a mellon baller or small spoon. Put onion in a close fitting heatproof bowl. Place 1 Tablespoon of sugar into the center and cover the sugar with a drizzle of butter or margarine, shake on the salt and pepper. Bake (usually in the toaster oven) until soft and creamy, about 45 minutes. Options: Reduce the sugar or increase the sugar. : Sprinkle with good chili powder, ancho or jalepeno. : Cover the onions with foil and cook them on the grill. : Cook onions in skillet until semi soft and place them on a cookie sheet or tray and freeze them. They will freeze individually, then remove them to a plastic bag. Keep them in the freezer, when your recipe calls for some onions, (say in a tomato sauce) reach in and grab a handful of these.