National Egg Month? How about National VEGG Month!

Did you know that the egg industry designates May as National Egg Month in an effort to convince consumers to keep buying eggs after the Easter rush?

Most consumers are surprised to learn that despite the happy hen imagery you might see on cartons of eggs, behind virtually every “incredible, edible” egg sold in grocery stores
today is a hen crammed inside a barren wire cage so restrictive, she can barely even
move. Intensively confined for nearly their whole lives, these smart and social animals are rountinely treated as little more than mere egg-producing machines. This is the sad reality for more 250 million egg-laying hens in the US.

Egg-laying hens may not have a
choice, but thankfully we do — we can crack the cruelty simply by choosing to leave their eggs out of our shopping carts.

One of our favorite egg-free options is The Vegg, a first-of-its kind egg-yolk replacer that just hit the market earlier this year. Use it in the delicious recipe below, and in other egg-free recipes—10% of sales benefit COK!

Have some creative ideas for using The Vegg? Be sure to enter The Vegg Recipe & Cookbook Contest!

Southern Red Velvet Brownies

• 1¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup beet purée
• ½ scant cup vegan butter
• ½ cup evaporated cane sugar
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• ½ cup The Vegg egg-yolk replacer (pre-mixed)
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp lemon juice to keep color brighter (opt)
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt—set aside.
3. Cream the butter and sugar, then add the cocoa, beets, vanilla, and lemon juice if using.
4. Blend or process The Vegg according to package to make a half cup and add to the wet mixture.
5. Slowly add the flour mixture and stir just until no lumps appear.
6. Pour the batter into a greased or parchment paper lined 8×8 pan and bake for 40 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Allow to cool. Frost before removing from pan and cut into bars.

Cream Cheese Frosting 

• 6 oz vegan cream cheese
• 1 tbsp vegan butter or margarine
• 1½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (opt)

1. Beat all ingredients with a mixer until smooth and creamy.
2. Chill for at least 30 minutes to thicken before applying.
3. Add more powdered sugar for a sweeter taste or thicker consistency.