Why is size important when it comes to eggs and pastries?

Have you ever wondered why a particular batch of cookies, which you have created a thousand times, does not show up as expected? Or why is your cake too high to fall? Maybe your custard tasted a little egg ahead. This could be due to the size of your eggs.

When it comes to cooking, the exact ingredients are essential and, although the grocery store offers several sizes of eggs, the recipes rarely require a specific size. In the United States, the modern sizes that are found in stores are (from the smallest to the largest), peewee, small, medium, large, very large (or very large) and jumbo.

The size of the egg is determined primarily by the age of the bird; In general, the older the hen, the bigger the egg. There are of course different types of eggs, including duck, goose and quail, all of which are favored for their varied textures and flavors, but we will focus on the chicken egg on more commonly used.

The good news is that large eggs are the standard used in most recipes and cookbooks. Using a different size, without adjustment, will affect the texture, the balance of the aromas and the consistency, and in most cases will give an unsatisfactory result, according to The amazing egg, a website founded by the American Egg Board.

A little science behind all this: eggs provide both volume and structure when used in pastry. When air is incorporated into the protein molecules in the eggs (as when mixing), the proteins unfold and stretch to form an elastic band that envelops the expanding air bubbles. when cooking.

The delicacy of the proportion of eggs in a recipe is best expressed in baking cakes: too few eggs will produce a cake that is too compact and does not hold, while too many of them will cause damage spongy and rubbery. An over-sized egg could give a pasty cookie and an egg too small to give friable muffins.

But what happens when you only have eggs of very large size or huge size? The following graphics provided by The amazing egg may be convenient for home bakers when substituting eggs of different sizes. Note that the size difference becomes more apparent when the recipe calls for three or more eggs, as shown below.

according to Bridget Charters, a Clinary producer for the New York Wine and Food Festival and culinary director of Tom Douglas's Hot Stove company, when preparing large volumes, it's best to weigh your eggs to get accurate results. TThe size of an egg is based on the total weight of the dozen (whose size varies per carton), as determined by the Department of Agriculture.

Erin McDowell, a baker, told MSN: "Eggs are sized according to their size and their weight varies greatly from one size to the other. Since cooking recipes depend on more accurate ratios and formulas, the use of a small egg when a large egg is required can result in serious changes to the final product. " The chart below provides the weights for both large and coarse eggs and their individual components.

Weight of a big or very big egg and its components:

For the home baker and small lots, a kitchen scale may not be necessary. Charters recommends using the scrambling method. Start by breaking the eggs or eggs in a bowl and whisking until they are well mixed; pour the appropriate amount of egg liquid needed for the recipe using a liquid measure. Add or remove the beaten egg to meet the requirements of the recipe. A big egg is equivalent to 3.5 tablespoons.

The scrambling method will also work for recipes that require certain parts of the egg to be prepared separately. Instead of scrambling the whole egg, separate the yolk or white from the egg you have on hand and whisk them together in a bowl. Continue measuring the correct amount needed for the recipe with a liquid measurement.

The next time you retrieve an egg carton at the supermarket, note the size, especially if you are planning to bake!