Growing up on a walnut orchard in the San Fernando Valley had its advantages. We kept a flock of chickens, as well as a few geese and ducks. I was taught that their eggs were a culinary treasure, valued for flavor and nutritional value. My late mother, a disciple of the egg-loving nutritional guru o f the day, Adele Davis, would not have approved of what I’ve been up to. I’ve been experimenting with an egg substitute. Mom couldn’t have imagined the record high cost of eggs. According to the USDA, egg prices are projected to increase by 41.1% in 2025, largely due to the ongoing avian flu outbreak impacting egg-laying chicken populations. Testing out Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer has been the focus of my trials. There are other approaches to egg substitutes, but this approach uses a product that is widely available and very easy to use. A 12-ounce package provides the equivalent of 32 eggs; the price at a local Sprouts was $4.99. The product is made with potato starch, tapioca flour, baking soda, and psyllium husk. To use it, it is combined in a 1:2 ratio with water. Easy. I started my experiment with muffins and cupcakes, then ventured into pancakes. I’m happy to report that for the most part, I was successful. I chose baked goods with flavorful add-ins, muffins spiked with fresh ginger and dried apricots, and cupcakes filled with jam. This recipe for Ginger Apricot Muffins is from the cookbook “Sweet Tooth” by Sarah Fennel, but modified to replace the two eggs called for with an egg substitute. (Photo by Cathy Thomas) Ginger Apricot Muffins Fresh ginger and chopped dried apricots, plus a scattering of thinly sliced almonds add pizzazz to these muffins. I substituted the egg replacer for the 2 eggs called for in the recipe from “Sweet Tooth” by Sarah Fennel (Clarkson Potter). The recipe mixed the batter by hand, but I used a stand mixer because I wanted to make sure the egg replacer was equally distributed and any lumps in that mixture were broken down. Yield: 12 muffins INGREDIENTS 2 tablespoons Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer 4 tablespoons water Paper cupcake liners Nonstick cooking spray 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger (or 2 teaspoons ground ginger) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 6 tablespoons full fat sour cream 6 tablespoons buttermilk (shake before measuring) 1 cup chopped dried apricots 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup sliced almonds Optional: powdered sugar DIRECTIONS 1. In a small bowl, combine egg replacer and water; stir to combine and set aside. 2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a standard muffin tin with paper muffin liners, then spray the muffin liners and top of the tin with nonstick cooking spray. 3. In a large bowl of electric stand mixer, combine melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Mix on low speed until combined. Stir egg replacement. Add egg replacement mixture, ginger, vanilla extract, sour cream and buttermilk. Mix at a medium speed until combined. Add apricot and mix on low speed until just combined. 4. Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until combined on low speed, scraping sides and bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Do not overmix. 5. Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups. It’s easiest to do this with an ice cream scoop that is a little less than 1/4 cup, filling the cups about 3/4 full. Top with almonds. 6. Bake for 5 minutes at 425 degrees, then reduce heat to 375 degrees. Continue baking until tops of the muffins are golden brown and spring back to the touch, about 18 to 20 minutes more. Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack and allow the muffins to cool slightly in the pan before dusting the tops with powdered sugar. Easiest way to dust with powdered sugar is to place powdered sugar in a handled small sieve and shake over the muffins. Source: Adapted from ”Sweet Tooth” by Sarah Fennel (Clarkson Potter) The recipe for Bob’s Buttermilk No Egg Pancakes comes from Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods, which manufactures an egg substitute. (Photo by Cathy Thomas) Bob’s Buttermilk No Egg Pancakes I started my recipe experiment with my mother’s recipe for cottage cheese spiked pancakes. After disappointing results, I turned to the maker of the egg replacer, Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods. Their eggless buttermilk pancakes were scrumptious. Yield: 7 to 8 pancakes INGREDIENTS 1 tablespoon Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer 2 tablespoons water 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 to 1 1/2 cups buttermilk (shaken before measuring), divided use 2 tablespoons melted butter DIRECTIONS 1. In a medium-large bowl, combine egg replacer and water; mix to combine and set aside. 2. In a medium bowl stir to combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside. 3. Add 1 cup buttermilk and melted butter to egg replacement mixture; mix well (I use a silicone spatula and ensure that the sides and bottom of the bowl are scaped so that everything comes together). Adjust to desired consistency with the additional 1/2 cup of buttermilk, stirring to combine. 4. Heat griddle or nonstick skillet on medium. (The recipe doesn’t designate oiling the pan or griddle, but I brush a smidgen of vegetable oil on the griddle or skillet.) Using about 1/4 cup of batter per pancake, portion batter onto preheated griddle or skillet. (I use a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop and after the batter is dropped, I use the back of the scoop to spread out the batter a little to make pancakes with a diameter of 4 inches.) Cook until bubbles form on the surface and the edges begin to set, about 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and continue to cook on the second side about 2 to 3 minutes more. Serve warm or hold in a 200-degree oven for up to 15 minutes. Source: Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods These Jelly Donut Cupcakes were made with Duncan Hines Butter Golden cake mix but without eggs. (Photo by Cathy Thomas) Jelly Donut Cupcakes I love the idea of piping jelly into the center of a cupcake, then frosting it with buttercream frosting. The first batch of Jelly Donut Cupcakes made with the egg replacer were slightly concave and a crunchy crust formed on the tops. So, never say die, I remembered a baking lecture I heard many years ago in which the food chemist said that packaged cake mixes were foolproof; she said that even haphazard mistakes didn’t keep the mixes from turning out a successful cake. So I bought a box of Duncan Hines Butter Golden cake mix and gave it a whirl. Bingo. Yield: About 14 to 18 Cook’s notes: If the cake mix calls for 1 egg, substitute 1 tablespoon Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer mixed with 2 tablespoons water. If cake the mix calls for 2 eggs, substitute 2 tablespoons Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer mixed with 4 tablespoons water. INGREDIENTS Cupcakes: For cake mix that calls for 3 eggs, combine 3 tablespoons egg replacer with 6 tablespoons water, see cook’s notes 1 (15.25-ounce) yellow cake mix, such as Duncan Hines Butter Golden Ingredients listed on cake mix box, eggs omitted 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam, or seedless strawberry jam, or mixed berry jam Piping bag fitted with 3/8-inch plain tip A frosted cupcake is opened to reveal the jelly filling inside. (Photo by Cathy Thomas) Frosting: 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature 3 cups powdered sugar Pinch of salt 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 tablespoons milk DIRECTIONS 1. Make the cupcakes: Adjust oven rack to middle position. Line 1 1/2 standard muffin pans with liners. Prepare cake mix according to package directions, omitting eggs and substituting Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer. 2. Scoop batter into prepared cups. It’s easiest to do this with an ice cream scoop that is a little less than 1/4 cup, filling the cups about 3/4 full. Bake according to cake mix directions (I found because they were larger, they needed an extra 5 to 7 minutes of baking). Cool for 5 minutes in muffin pan, then transfer to cooling rack. Cool completely. 3. With a paring knife, cut a 1-inch wide slit in the top of each cupcake, slicing about halfway down. Place jam in the piping bag. Insert the piping bag into slit and pipe in the jam. 4. Prepare frosting: Beat the butter, powdered sugar, and salt in a large bowl of an electric stand mixer; beat on medium speed until just combined. Add vanilla and beat on medium-high speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Beat in milk until fluffy, about 1 minute scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Drop a generous tablespoon of frosting in center of each cupcake and spread it to cover the top. Source: Adapted from “Baking For Fun” from the Food Network magazine Award-winning food writer Cathy Thomas has written three cookbooks, including “50 Best Plants on the Planet.” Follow her at CathyThomasCooks.com. ...read more read less