I have been on something of a baking kick recently (which you may have noticed on my other blog). I enjoy baking, but I have had difficulty finding baking recipes for Bryan that I really like. Baking is a fascinating and complicated science. Ingredients combine together in chemical reactions to create flavor, texture, and shape- all of which contribute to those chewy cookies or fluffy cake that we enjoy so much. Therefore, substituting can be fairly tricky when you are dealing with the core ingredients to baking- such as flour, milk, and eggs. We are lucky enough that Bryan is not allergic to wheat, so flour is not an issue. Milk and eggs, however, are obviously not going into anything that Bryan can eat.
Eggs, I have found, are a particularly difficult ingredient to replace. Now, you might wonder why you can't just use a refrigerated egg substitute in place of the egg, and the reason is actually simple- most egg substitutes actually do contain egg. They are great for people who are trying to lower their cholesterol or something like that, but definitely off-limits for people with an egg allergy.
One of the keys to figuring out how to replace an egg is knowing the purpose the egg serves. Eggs usually act in one of two basic ways in a recipe- as a binding agent (to moisten and hold things together, as in cookies or brownies), or as a leavening agent (to lighten and soften the final product, as in cakes). In general, the fewer eggs needed, the better a replacement will work. (And unfortunately, if your goal is to make a perfect egg-free clone for your favorite quiche, you're probably out of luck.) However, there are a few substitutions that you can try with your usual recipes:
Eggs, I have found, are a particularly difficult ingredient to replace. Now, you might wonder why you can't just use a refrigerated egg substitute in place of the egg, and the reason is actually simple- most egg substitutes actually do contain egg. They are great for people who are trying to lower their cholesterol or something like that, but definitely off-limits for people with an egg allergy.
One of the keys to figuring out how to replace an egg is knowing the purpose the egg serves. Eggs usually act in one of two basic ways in a recipe- as a binding agent (to moisten and hold things together, as in cookies or brownies), or as a leavening agent (to lighten and soften the final product, as in cakes). In general, the fewer eggs needed, the better a replacement will work. (And unfortunately, if your goal is to make a perfect egg-free clone for your favorite quiche, you're probably out of luck.) However, there are a few substitutions that you can try with your usual recipes:
- If the egg is a binding agent in something sweet, like a cookie or a brownie, you can try replacing each egg with 1 Tbsp. mashed banana, applesauce, or yogurt (soy or otherwise). If the egg is a binder in something savory, like a meatloaf or casserole, you can use 1 Tbsp. mashed potato or tofu for each egg.
- If the egg is a leavening agent, as in cakes and muffins, things get a bit trickier. You need something that will release gas bubbles to make the food rise, and you have to be careful to distribute that ingredient evenly throughout the batter to ensure that you don't get "pockets" of rising- which is usually my problem. The most consistent (though not perfect) replacement that I have found is a mixture of 1 1/2 Tbsp. water, 1 1/2 Tbsp. oil, and 1 tsp. baking powder for each egg. However, you do need to use the mixture very quickly to take full advantage of the resulting bubbly chemical reaction.
(You can also do what I usually do, which is try to find recipes that already have substitutions worked into the ingredients. Since that isn't always possible, though, it's nice to have a trick or two up your sleeve.)
If the egg were all I had to worry about, it might be a little easier to work with existing recipes. But having to substitute for the milk as well ends up changing the chemistry enough that I usually have to look for designated milk-free-egg-free recipes. All of that to say, I have been baking a lot lately, trying to find recipes that everyone will enjoy. It's a little harder than I had hoped it would be (there's always something that's not QUITE right), but I suppose the upside is that the house smells really good. =)
If the egg were all I had to worry about, it might be a little easier to work with existing recipes. But having to substitute for the milk as well ends up changing the chemistry enough that I usually have to look for designated milk-free-egg-free recipes. All of that to say, I have been baking a lot lately, trying to find recipes that everyone will enjoy. It's a little harder than I had hoped it would be (there's always something that's not QUITE right), but I suppose the upside is that the house smells really good. =)
