I'd like to bake eggy-stink-free biscotti, but how?

June 7, 2008 3:33 PM

Need help from experienced bakers: how do I get rid of the eggy smell that clings to otherwise delicious biscotti (and some other baked goods) after they come out of the oven? The only advice I have found is to add a teaspoon of honey to the batter. (I use your standard eggs, out of the shell) Does this work? What causes the eggy smell anyway? How do industrial biscotti-bakers avoid having the smell?
posted by Salthound to Food & Drink (4 answers total)

1. Fresher eggs stink less than older eggs. You judge freshness not by the pull date, the length of which varies by manufacturer, but by the Julian date, which is usually the first three numbers of the mysterious numerical code above or below the pull date.

2. Some eggs stink more than others, regardless of freshness. Crack each one into a cup separately before using, and give it a sniff. You are a person sensitive to egg smell, so trust your nose. If it's going to stink later, it will stink now too. Toss it out and crack another.

3. If that stink gets on your pan, it's hard to get off and will contaminate things later baked in it. Clean it off with vodka. (This advice works for pasta machines as well.)
posted by HotToddy at 3:53 PM on June 7, 2008

Whoops, meant to mention that the Julian date is the date the eggs were packed.
posted by HotToddy at 3:53 PM on June 7, 2008

the julian date is a three digit number that corresponds to the day of the year ie 001 is january 1st, 002 is jan 2nd etc
posted by legotech at 8:39 PM on June 7, 2008

I've heard that if you remove the chalazae (the little white "cord" that attaches the yolk to the white), you can get rid of the eggy smell.

Old wives' tale perhaps?
posted by kilikina73 at 10:17 AM on June 8, 2008