chia seeds, briefly

Can we just talk for a minute about chia seeds?  Yes, the very same seeds that made chia pets famous.  But let's talk about them as an egg replacer.  They are AMAZING.  (Here is a little science relating to chia seeds, if you want to know what they are all about.)

So, I'm not here to advocate for them as a diet food or a "superfood", though they are pretty great for you.  I am here to talk about using them as a binding agent in your baked goods.  I use many items as an egg replacement, depending on the item I'm making:  Ener-G Egg Replacer, applesauce, flax seed meal (not whole seeds), cornstarch, and chia seeds.  More and more I find myself just reaching for the chia seeds, unless the recipe needs to look pretty and not have tiny seeds all over in it (ie - sugar cookies) but sometimes I'll even use them if I just don't want to take a chance that they won't turn out.

So how do you do it?  So easy.  1 tablespoon of chia seeds in 3 tablespoons of water = 1 egg.  I put mine in a small glass jar, put the lid on, and shake it up.  I do this first when I know I'll need an egg, you have to give them time to activate and gel with the water.  Shake it up a few times, until you need it.  It should look like the photo below when its ready.  This was a two egg recipe I was making (recipe soon).  You can see how thick the  mixture is, and how it's almost like a gel. 

 
Chia seeds.  They're a beautiful thing.  Sometimes I'll fill this small jar and keep it in the fridge, I bake a lot so I know I'll need it.  I use it in baked goods, pancakes, waffles, meat loaf, you name it.  And, though they may alter the look of some things (like sugar cookies), they will not alter the flavor at all that I've noticed.  Bonus!  Now, get in the kitchen!