Egg Allergy? -- Try these delicious, healthy treats!

I absolutely love to bake, it's definitely one of my all time favorite hobbies.  Before I stopped working, I was working as a preschool teacher for a few years, and absolutely loved it.  I was so heartbroken when my doctor told me I had to stop working, and could never work with children again.  I had so much fun creating lesson plans, teaching and playing with the children, and seeing them grow and learn before my eyes.  One of the things I loved sharing and teaching to the children was baking, and of course they loved eating the treats afterwards.  One year I was thrown a curve ball when I had a child who had severe egg and peanut allergies put into my room.  It was a tough year, but taught me a lot about baking with different things I never knew before.  As the years went on, I realized that food allergies, especially egg and peanut, seem to be more common.  After working with several children with different allergies, I learned different types of recipes.  To this day, I use these recipes, not because I know anyone personally with food allergies (because I don't), but because these recipes are actually a lot healthier for you.  I figured I would start sharing my yummy recipes with you. 

First and foremost, I did just a little research to share with you.  And egg allergy is when a persons immune system has an overreaction to egg or egg yolks resulting in minor to severe symptoms.  The person has built up antibodies to one - four of the proteins found in eggs.  This type of allergy is mostly seen in children, and is the second most common food allergy in kids.  The allergy is treated by avoiding foods that contain any type of egg in them, if not it could result in anaphlaxis, which causes shortness of breath, stopping breathing or even death.  It is advised that if you do or suspect an egg allergy and consume any, to seek medical attention immediately! The Allergy Foundation states that most children grow out of the allergy by the age of 5, but there are some who have it for life.  People who have egg allergies also need to avoid the the flu vaccine, since most vaccines are made using hen eggs as an incubator for the virus. 

Here are a few recipes I have used personally and love them!  I'm still working on eating healthier, like using whole-wheat flour, I find the taste odd, so I write a substitution when it can be used.

Eggless Blueberry Muffins

The actual muffin I made :)

I found a basic recipe online, and then tweaked it with my own stuff.   The recipe makes 12 muffins and are about 130 calories each. If you want them even healthier, I wrote some substitutions to lower the calorie amount. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour (you could substitute with 2 cups whole-wheat flour)

1 cup sugar (use 1 cup Splenda® instead)

Dash of ground cinnamon (I didn't measure, so just add what you'd like)

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup milk (I used whole, use any kind you like)

3 tablespoons melted butter (margarine doesn't always work well when substituting, so use salt-free butter instead)

1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 350°F and line muffin pan with paper liners.

- Combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon and baking powder in a medium bowl.

- Stir in milk and melted butter by hand until dry ingredients are all wet.

- Fold in blueberries, then fill each cup 2/3 full.

- Bake for 25 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy!
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Actual muffins I made

Eggless Apple Muffin Recipe
This is one of my favorites, so yummy and they didn't last in my house very long!

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour ( substitute with 2 cups whole-wheat flour)

1/2 cup white sugar (substitute with sweetener like Splenda)

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup applesauce (all-natural, no sugar added)

1/3 cup milk

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I used a lot more, because I love cinnamon!)

2 cups chopped apples (I left the skin on)

Honey

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 400°F. Grease bottoms only of 12 muffin cups or line with baking cups.



2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; mix well. In a small bowl, combine apple sauce, oil, and milk; blend well. Add dry ingredients all at once; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened (batter will be lumpy.) Stir in chopped apples.



3. Fill cups 2/3 full. Just before putting muffins in the oven, sprinkle tops of muffins with a bit of cinnamon & sugar, or if you have it, cinnamon sugar. :)



4. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 1 minute before removing from pan. While muffins are in the pan, brush/pour a bit of honey on top of muffins. Serve warm.
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These are NOT mine. But a photo of someone elses :)

Fudge Healthy Brownies
These were pretty yummy for being healthy brownies.  The only thing that I can't get used to, is wheat flour.  I know it saves a bunch of calories, but I'm not sure if I like it or not. Great healthy recipe though.  The brownies are only 86 calories each! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
Olive Oil Spray
2/3 cup mild honey
1/3 cup natural, unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup white wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/5 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large egg, at room temperature (or substitute a 1/4 cup plain yogurt or 1/2 pureed banana)
3/4 teaspoons pure vanilla

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Spray the pan with the olive oil spray.

Place honey in a large glass measuring cup.  Microwave on high until honey is runny and bubbling, about 40-60 seconds.  Add cocoa and stir with a fork until well combined.  Let cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, place the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Whisk until well combined. 

In a large bowl, combine applesauce, oil, egg(or substitute) and vanilla.  Whisk together until well blended.  Add the honey-cocoa mixture and whisk until smooth.  Add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture and stir until no traces of flour remain.  Scrape the batter into pan.  Bake until the surface looks dry around the edges of pan.  Usually bake for 25 minutes.
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Not mine, again. But looks so similar!

Egg-Free Cookies
These were sooo yummy! I got more compliments from this recipe than my regular cookies!  They do come out flat, but tastes just as good :)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup applesauce
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 package (24 oz) chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Mix butter, sugars, vanilla, and applesauce in a large bowl using a spoon.  Stir in flour, baking soda and salt until well blended.  Mix in chocolate chips. 
Drop by rounded measured spoonfuls, about 2 inches apart.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool for 5 minutes in pan, then move to wire rack. 
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I hope you all enjoy these yummy, egg free recipes!  Eggs are very good for us, so if you don't have an allergy, try to not substitute the egg.  Eggs offer lots of protein and nutrients, and help with baking and cooking by acting as a binder for the other ingredients.  If you are looking to make your recipes healthier, you can use wheat flour instead of all purpose, salt-free butter and more.  There are many substitutes you can use to make your baking a bit healthier :)  Here is a website that has a list of different ways to substitute: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-recipes/NU00585 Enjoy and happy, healthy baking!