Flaxseed and replacing eggs

Flaxseed is one of my favorite things to bake with for a number of reasons. I first got into it after reading that it can help reduce your risk of certain diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer and stroke. In particular, it is chock-full of Omega- 3 essential fatty acids, which are the 'good' fats that protect your heart, lignans, which have antioxidant qualities and fiber (both the soluble and insoluble kind). I initially would sprinkle it on my morning cereal or add a spoonful to a smoothie 


Once I figured out that flaxseed mixed with water is a perfect egg replacement in baked goods, I knew I had to try it out. I wanted to try to revamp a carrot cake muffin recipe I found on the NYTimes website over the weekend but was fresh out of eggs (and too lazy to head out, just for the eggs). 

Flaxseed meal; image: bobsredmill.com

After looking online a bit I found out that 1 tablespoon flaxseed mixed with three tablespoons water can replace one egg. It's even better if you can allow the mixture to set a bit (it thickens as it sits). Honestly, after I let the mixture sit for about a half hour, it was the exact consistency of a whisked egg! I was encouraged. 


I used the mixture in place of the 2 eggs called for in the recipe and they turned out well; in fact, I doubt you'd even know there weren't any eggs in the recipe. Keep in mind that replacing the eggs with flaxseed in a recipe won't work if you are using the eggs for a purpose other than binding. Or if its a recipe that calls for lots of eggs like quiche or souffle, I doubt this method would work. 


Note: I'm not sure where you can find Flaxseed Meal in Istanbul, but Bob's Red Mill  ships to Istanbul and since they've got lots of other cool products like gluten-free flour and xantham gum, you could order a bunch of stuff to make the shipping worth it.