Written by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen.

I am from India, a country with a rich and varied cuisine where baking is not a traditional method of cooking. However, in certain parts of India, some form of baking has become a custom over the years as a result of trade with other countries or foreign invasions. The naans (Indian flatbreads) and other tandoori breads of northern India came in from Persia while bakes like cakes, puddings and biscuits (as we call our cookies) are the legacy of the British, French, Dutch or Portuguese occupation of India.

I enjoy baking and though we eat eggs, we are not fond of them. Over the years, I have tried adapting baking recipes requiring eggs by either reducing the eggs to the bare minimum, or not using them.
I do bake with eggs some of the time, where they cannot be avoided and make a difference in my recipe.

Written by Marika of Madcap Cupcake

People have varied reasons for baking with alternative ingredients. Whether you wish to bake for someone with food allergies, have been diagnosed with a food intolerance yourself, are perhaps looking to reduce fat and cholesterol, or want to go vegan for a day in celebration of Earth Day – there is no reason why dessert should be anything less than perfect.