Baking is a Science Experiment

Baking is a science experiment now. I remember being told that baking, unlike cooking, is similar to chemistry when following a recipe because measurements mean something. An inaccurate measure can cause bread not to rise or a cookie to be more crumbly. Now that I can’t bake with wheat flour or eggs, my kitchen is even more of a laboratory. I regularly use a bean-based flour and xanthan gum for baking. I’d seen xanthan gum on some food labels previously, but until I had to bake in our allergen-free home, I had not noticed it sold separately in stores. Apparently, the gluten that is in wheat gives foods certain textures. Xanthan gum assists in that department.

As for the eggs, that also became a trick. I learned eggs serve multiple purposes in foods- to bind and to help baked goods rise. There are several substitutes, including a ratio of water, oil, and baking powder, as well as Ener-G Egg Replacer, and flaxseed.

Until the past week, I never attempted to use flaxseed. However, after contacting Elizabeth Gordon, who just published her first cookbook, “Allergy-Free Desserts: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Soy-Free and Nut-Free Delights”, I tried it. She utilizes it in lieu of eggs in her recipes, and recommended it especially for cookies. I’ve used it thus far in one of her recipes, and also a bread mix I’ve used before. It worked, so I’m trying it again now in a muffin recipe I usually use the egg replacer in. Applesauce muffins should be ready in just a little bit. Here’s hoping they come out.