Tip - Get Cracking And Whip Up Your Egg Skills

Get cracking and whip up your egg skills

Nancy Stohs 

Eggs should be broken into bowls, not against people's houses. 
Bake them into cakes, pies and puddings, beat them into quiches, 
casseroles and pancakes. Scramble them and slather them with ketchup, 
if you must. But don't waste a one.

The coming baking season reminds us of just how much we depend on this 
inexpensive product of nature. It binds, it adds volume, it casts a 
golden glow when brushed over baked goods.

No eggs would mean no meringues, no fluffy cakes, no custard pie, 
no creamy, frothy eggnog. This would be one sad holiday kitchen.

Are you up on your egg user skills? Save yourself a panicked call to 
Mother or those holiday baking lines and drill yourself now. 
Then, break away! (Just watch your aim.)

Size: Most recipes are formulated around large eggs. Substituting small, 
medium, extra-large or jumbo could change the outcome, particularly in 
baked goods.

Five whole large eggs measure about 1 cup; so do 7 or 8 large egg whites 
and 12 to 14 yolks.

Temperature: For highest volume when beating eggs, they should be at about 
75 degrees; hence, recipes that call for eggs at "room temperature." 
Also, if cold eggs are added to a creamed fat and sugar base, they can 
curdle the batter, affecting the texture.

Eggs come to room temperature quickly, 20 to 30 minutes on the counter, 
or 5 to 10 minutes set in warm water.

Beating: Properly separating eggs is the first step to beating egg whites. 
This is easiest when eggs are refrigerator-cold. The safest method still 
involves three bowls: one for the white of the egg you are currently breaking, 
one for the yolks and a third for collecting the egg whites.

Even the tiniest bit of yolk mixed in with the whites will lesson the volume 
and perceptibly alter the texture. You can try to remove particles of yolk 
from the whites. Insert the corner of a paper towel moistened with cold water 
into the whites and try to get the yolk to adhere to it.

Cream of tartar can help stabilize beaten whites. As a rule of thumb, 
add 1/8 teaspoon per white.

As for a bowl, don't use plastic or aluminum. Plastic may leach fats into 
the whites, deterring volume. Aluminum will turn the eggs gray. Copper helps 
add volume but is not necessary.

Folding: Use a rubber spatula. Add the whites to the heavier mixture. 
Use a sharp, clean action, as though cutting through a cake. Then, with a 
lifting motion, envelop the whites by bringing up the heavier substance 
from the bottom. Repeat these slicing and lifting motions, turning the 
bowl as you work.

Heating: When adding egg yolks to a hot mixture such as for a pudding,
first whisk a little of the hot mixture into the yolks to "temper" them, 
then add that mixture to the pot or pan.

Custards and similar delicate egg dishes need to be baked in a water bath. 
Be sure the pan with the custard is sufficiently smaller than the pan holding 
the water. Place everything on the oven shelf, then pour the nearly boiling 
water into the outer pan before carefully sliding the shelf back in. 
Remove fully cooked custards immediately from the water bath for cooling 
or they may overcook.

Safety: Salmonella is a concern with raw eggs today. Not to worry. If your 
favorite holiday recipe calls for raw eggs or egg yolks, the American Egg 
Board offers this remedy.

In a heavy saucepan, stir together eggs or egg yolks and the liquid or sugar 
from the recipe, or a combination. Liquid and/or sugar must total at least 
2 tablespoons per yolk or 1/4 cup per whole egg.

Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture coats a metal 
spoon with thin film, or reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit on a thermometer. 
Set the pan in ice water and stir to cool quickly, then proceed with the recipe.

The egg board has a useful Web site, www.aeb.org, where you'll find more on egg 
safety, general information about eggs and many recipes, including the board's 
Classic Cooked Eggnog.