Thursday 11 September 2014

Baking Without Eggs, Milk, Or Butter

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Josephine's Lenten Chocolate Cake

Chewy Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Lemon Frosting

Pumpkin Muffins

Coffee Cake

Rich Chocolate Cake



Baking without eggs, milk and butter

Get rid of the eggs

Replacing eggs is the most challenging aspect of vegan baking. They bind, leaven and give structure to baked recipes. However, they can be replaced, and with pleasing results.

Flax Seeds
How to use them:
1 Tablespoon flaxseeds plus 3 Tablespoons water replaces one egg. Finely grind 1 tablespoon whole flaxseeds in a blender or coffee grinder, or use 2 1/2 tablespoons pre-ground flaxseeds. Transfer to a bowl and beat in 3 tablespoons of water using a whisk or fork. It will become very gooey and gelatinous, much like an egg white. In some recipes, you can leave the ground flax in the blender and add the other wet ingredients to it, thus saving you the extra step of the bowl.

When it works best:

Flax seeds have a distinct earthy taste. It tastes best and works very well in things like pancakes, and whole grain items, such as bran muffins and corn muffins. It is perfect for oatmeal cookies, and the texture works for cookies in general, although the taste may be too pronounced for some. Chocolate cake recipes have mixed results, I would recommend only using one portion flax-egg in those, because the taste can be overpowering.

Tips:
Always store ground flaxseeds in the freezer because they are highly perishable. This mixture is not only an excellent replacement for eggs, it also contributes vital omega-3 fatty acids.

Where to get it:
Health food stores

Silken Tofu
How to use it:
1/4 cup blended silken tofu = 1 egg. Whiz in a blender until completely smooth and creamy, leaving no graininess or chunks. You will want to add other wet ingredients to this mixture to get it to blend properly. I recommend vacuum packed extra firm silken tofu, such as Mori-Nu.

When it works best:
Dense cakes and brownies, and in smaller quantities for lighter cakes and fluffy things (if the recipe calls for 3 eggs only use 2 "tofu" eggs"). Whizzed tofu leaves virtually no taste, so it is an excellent replacer in cake recipes. In cookie recipes, it may make the cookie more cake-y and fluffy than anticipated, add 1 teaspoon of starch to the recipe (such as arrowroot or corn starch) to combat that. It may make pancakes a little heavy, so it is not recommended as a quick replacement for eggs in pancakes, although it could work well with a little experimentation.

Where to get it:
Health food store shelves, and in some supermarkets.

Ener-G Egg Replacer
How to use it:
1 1/2 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons water mixed well = 1 egg
Many people swear by this egg replacer.Use in all baking that requires a few eggs.

When it works best:
It seems to work best in cookies, or things that are supposed to be a little crispy.

Where to get it:
Health food stores, some supermarkets in the baking or ethnic food section

Bananas
How to use it:
1/2 banana blended until smooth or mashed well = 1 egg.
Bananas work wonders as an egg replacer in baking, which is the reason many banana bread recipes don't require eggs. They hold the air bubbles well, make things nice and moist, and impart a nice flavor. However, you don't want everything tasting like banana, so use in things where the taste won't be intrusive. I've also noticed that baked goods using banana brown very nicely.

When it works best:
Quick breads, muffins, cakes, pancakes

Tip: Make sure bananas are nice and ripe and have started to brown.

Soy yogurt
How to use it:
1/4 cup soy yogurt = 1 egg.
Soy yogurt works a lot like whizzed tofu as an egg replacer. It makes things moist and yummy.

When it works best:
Quick breads, muffins, cakes

Where to get it:
Health food stores,some supermarkets

Lose the milk
This is a no-brainer. Use soy, rice or almond milk. Butter milk? Add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice to your milk and let it sit for a couple of minutes.

It's like butter
Instead of butter try margarine.

You can use any vegetable oil, just reduce the amount. If a recipe calls for one stick of butter, which is a half cup, I use 1/3 cup of oil.

You can also try prune puree which will also obviously reduce the amount of fat. To use, puree 1/2 cup of pitted prunes with 1/4 cup of water. You will want to reduce the amount used, or the final product may be too moist. If the recipe calls for a half cup use 1/3 cup instead. You may also want to add a little oil, maybe a tablespoon per cup of fat needed, because a little fat goes a long way in taste and texture.

Vegan Baking: Tips for Cooking Without Eggs






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