How to Halve an Egg for Baking
Plus ideas for using up that leftover half egg, too.
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By Alice K. Thompson for Food Network Kitchen
Alice is a contributing writer and editor at Food Network
Halving a recipe? Everything might be going along just fine until you get to one tricky ingredient: the egg. We typically think of eggs in terms of numbers, not volume measures like we do for sugar, flour and other common baking ingredients. That’s why we don’t instinctively know what half of one is. And you can’t just split one down the middle like you would a banana. Fortunately, accurately measuring out half an egg is simple, and all you’ll need is a fork, a small bowl and a tablespoon. Here’s how to do it, plus how to halve a yolk or egg white too.
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How to Halve an Egg for Baking
To measure out half a large egg, the standard size for baking, crack it into a small bowl, whisk it until it’s uniform in color, and measure out 2 tablespoons.
Add the 2 tablespoons to your recipe and refrigerate the remainder for another use; it will keep for up to 2 days. If you’re the type of baker who typically uses a scale, no problem: Weigh out 25 grams or 1 ounce for half a large egg.
How to Halve an Egg Yolk
The yolk of a large egg is just about 1 tablespoon, or 3 teaspoons. To get half of a yolk you’ll want to separate an egg and place the yolk in a cup or very small bowl. Break it up with a fork and measure out 1 1/2 teaspoons. If you’d prefer to use a scale you’ll want 7 grams.
How to Halve an Egg White
The white of a large egg is about 3 tablespoons. So to get half of one you’ll want to separate your egg and place the white in a cup or very small bowl. Whisk it just a little with a fork and measure out 1 tablespoon and 1 1/2 teaspoons. If you use a scale, you’ll want about 17 grams.
What to Do with Half a Leftover Egg
Got a few tablespoons of leftover egg? You can definitely add it to your morning scramble or omelet. Or use it to give another kind of dish a unique boost.
Whisk it into porridge: It’s full of protein, and it can make your morning oatmeal a little creamier. Just stir it into very hot oats or other hot cereal; it will cook instantly and add a touch of richness.
Make a sliced garnish: Whisk it with a pinch of salt, then cook it like a mini omelet in a greased nonstick skillet until just set. Slide it onto a cutting board to cool, then roll it up like a cigar and cut across to make fine strips. It’s a colorful garnish for salads, soups, rice or vegetables.
Enrich your pasta: You probably know the egg-centric pasta dish carbonara: eggs give this famous recipe fabulous creaminess with absolutely no cream. Put your bit of egg in a small bowl and drizzle in a little hot pasta water while whisking to temper it. Stir it quickly into very hot, just drained pasta for a hint of that carbonara richness, then sauce your pasta as usual.
Add it to a grain bowl: Scramble it quickly in a greased nonstick skillet with a pinch of salt and maybe a pinch of spice like curry powder or gochugaru. Add it to your favorite grain bowl for a hit of extra protein.
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