Baked Goods

• Yeast breads typically do not include eggs, yet there are some yeast breads that do. Brioche bread, sweet rolls, cinnamon rolls and raised doughnuts are all yeast breads that call for eggs. Eggs are usually used when baking quick breads. A quick bread uses baking powder instead of yeast to help it rise. Eggs are also a common ingredient in cake and cookie recipes. A standard pie crust recipe does not use eggs, but the tart pastry does. The egg gives the tart pastry the extra firmness needed to hold a filling without the support of a pie pan.

Desserts

• Custards, puddings and ice cream all include eggs. Yet, not all ice cream recipes call for eggs. The eggs help the mixture thicken to the correct consistency. Some recipes call for just the egg yolk or for the eggs to be separated. After the eggs are separated the yolks and whites are beaten separately. Some recipes call for beating the egg whites and then gently folding egg yolks into the whites. Meringue, which is used to top pies and in other desserts, is made from whipped egg whites and sugar.

Sauces and Stuffing

• Several sauces call for egg yolks, most famously hollandaise sauce, which is a combination of egg yolks, butter and a hint of lemon juice. Hollandaise sauce is served over eggs Benedict, and can also be used to top vegetables, beef, chicken or seafood. Other sauces that use eggs are mustard sauce and chicken barbeque sauce. Eggs are also used to help bind ingredients, such as in stuffing, meatballs and meatloaf.