Making Cookies Vegan

As a vegetarian-pseudo-vegan, I am very used to replacing animal products in cooking.  However, they say baking is a science and it can be a bit trickier to substitute for animal products when making baked goods.

I've been reading a lot about egg replacements lately because of my battle against cholesterol. (Yes, even vegetarians can have high cholesterol!)

Here are the two I decided to try:

1. Flax seeds mixed with hot water (1 tbsp fine ground flax mixed with 3 tbsp hot water= 1 egg)

2. Soy yogurt (1/4 cup = 1 egg)

I chose these because I have flax on hand since I mix it into my oatmeal in the morning and after making agave corn muffins the other day, I am intrigued by soy yogurt and its capabilities. 

I visit Withsprinklesontop.net on a daily basis.  It is run by a friend of a friend and is full of fantastic recipes and pictures.  Truly, it is an inspiration!  The recipe I chose for my egg replacement experiment came from this blog.

Vegan Orange Cornmeal Crisps

Adapted from: FamilyFun Magazine via With Sprinkles on Top

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup fine cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegan butter replacement, softened
1 cup sugar
1 replacement for 1 large egg (I actually split the batch and made 1/2 with flax and 1//2 with soy yogurt.)

1 to 2 teaspoons orange zest
1/2 teaspoon orange extract

Glaze ingredients: (I doubled)

2 cups powdered sugar
Zest and juice of two medium oranges
Pinch of salt

Directions for flax seed replacement:

Grind flax seeds (even if it is meal) in a coffee grinder or blender until very fine.  For 1 whole egg: mix 1 tbsp ground flax in a small bowl with 3 tbsp hot water.  Stir and allow to sit for about 10 minutes.  When ready, the mix should have the consistency of egg whites.

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, 3/4 cup cornmeal, baking powder, and salt; then set mixture aside.
2. Using an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat the butter, sugar, and egg substitute until creamy (about 2 minutes). Reduce the speed to low; add the flour mixture, zest, and orange extract and beat until the mixture pulls away from the sides and forms a dough (about 1 minute).

OR Use a pastry cutter/blender in place of an electric mixer.  This is what I did since I am currently lacking a mixer (shocking!).
3. Divide the dough in half and form each half into a 12-inch-long, 1-1/2-inch-wide log. Cover the dough in plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 1 hour in the refrigerator or 20 minutes in the freezer.
4. Heat the oven to 375F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Spread the remaining 1/4 cup cornmeal on a small, flat tray; roll each log in the cornmeal to coat. Cut the logs into 1/2-inch thick slices and place them 1 inch apart on the prepared sheets. Bake until the cookies are golden brown around the edges — about 10-12 minutes. Cool the cookies on a wire rack.
5. To make the glaze, stir together the powdered sugar, zest, 1/4 cup orange juice, and salt. If needed, add more juice, a teaspoon at a time, until the glaze has a flowing consistency.

6. Place cookies on a wire rack over wax paper to allow excess glaze to fall onto paper.  Spoon a few teaspoons of the glaze onto each cookie.  Use the back of a spoon to slightly spread glaze while it is still wet.

Results:
Both of the egg substitutes (flax and soy yogurt) worked exceptionally well.  The results were so similar that I actually mixed some of them up and couldn't tell them apart.  They even taste the same somehow.  I think the flax works really well with course ground corn meal because they have similar textures.  In the future I'll probably stick with the flax substitute because I always have flax meal on hand and I don't know what to do with the rest of the soy yogurt I bought... I s'pose I could eat it but I'm not brave enough...

Anyway, these cookies have a delightfully fresh orange flavor and a nice crunch.  They almost made me forget it is February. Or maybe that's the cold medicine?

I believe the one on the left is flax seed and the one on the right is soy yogurt.  Can you see a difference?  I can't.