Eggless Recipes

Our nephew was allergic to eggs so my sister learned to substitute water for the eggs in a baking mix! Although my late husband could tolerate eggs baked in something, eating an omlette often caused him to break out in hives. I left eggs out of most recipes, no eggs in Challah or any home baked products. I tried egg substitutes but realized plain water worked too!

To make something rise in baking, one gently stirs in vinegar (a weak acid) at the end of a recipe containing a base like baking soda.

More specifically, Vinegar + Baking Soda = (Sodium ion + acetate ion) + CO2 gas + water

I remember from Chemistry class, Acid + Base = Salt + Water (plus CO2 gas in the case of baking soda).

Eggless, Dairy-free Mocha Cake

For my mother's 94th birthday, we ordered a wonderful cake and for those, like my husband, who can not eat eggs or dairy products I made this easy cake in a large heart shaped cake pan:

3 cups flour
1 scant cup sugar (we do not like our cake too sweet)
9 tablespoons of Hershey's cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 tablespoons vinegar
1/2 tablespoon vanilla
9 tablespoons canola oil or (4 canola oil + 4 applesauce)
1 1/2 cups coffee

Mix all dry ingredients together, add coffee and stir well.
At the last moment, add the vinegar, stir quickly and place in the oven.

Oven temp 350F, bake until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Make sure the vinegar is added quickly followed by quick stirrying and immediately place the batter in the oven. The vinegar and baking soda combine to create a batter that will rise in the oven!

Do not overstir after adding the vinegar.

Snacks for Special Diets

For over 16 years, I have been working on a line of snacks and meals for those on special diets or having allergies. I am wondering if there is a need for a not too sweet snack that I call Andrew David's Twist Cookies.

The twisted cookie does not contain eggs, dairy products, nuts, or soy and is cholesterol free. The cookie twist can be made with plain sugar or a variety of natural flavors. The cookie twists include unbleached wheat flour. I have not tried making the cookie with alternate flours, but it could also be gluten-free if a gluten-free flour product, not containing wheat, were used.

Would there be any interest in such a product for those with allergies or dairy intolerance were it available? I am still perfecting Andrew David's Twist Cookies per a group of selected taste testers with allergies or on low cholesterol diets.