General Mills, Inc.

Gerald L Wilson

Philip K Zietlow

Bernhard H Van Lengerich

Mathew F Langenfeld

James L Stinson

Glenn M Campbell

Michael A Helser

Verne E Weiss

Terry G Reishus

Terry J Reishus

A method of preparing aerated food products, especially marshmallows, having a nutritionally fortified ingredient is provided. In accordance with a preferred form of the invention, the method includes the steps of: providing a liquid sugar confection blend comprising: a saccharide component; about 1 to 30% moisture; and a foam structuring agent; adding a dry particulate including a nutritional fortifying ingredient to the liquid confection blend; aerating the liquid confection blend to form an aerated confection plastic foam; extruding the aerated foam at a heated temperature to form an aerated confection extrudate; cooling the extrudate to solidify the confection to form a set aerated confection extrudate; forming the set aerated confection extrudate into pieces; and drying the pieces. The invention also concerns preparing a liquid confection blend seeded with a sweetener and a nutritional fortifying ingredient that can be used in making the aerated food products.

Food product and method of preparation

The present invention describes methods of cooling dried aerated confectionery pieces to increase bowl life, comprising the steps of: A. cooling a hot dried aerated confectionery piece in a soft plastic state having (1) a moisture content of less than 3.5% by weight, (2) an initial temperature of at least 80&deg; C., and (3) a glass transition temperature (&ldquo;Tg&rdquo;) of at least 15&deg; C., to a temperature within a tempering temperature range, said tempering temperature range being Tg&plus;5&deg; C. to about Tg&plus;30&deg; C. to form a partially cooled, dried aerated confectionery piece; B. maintaining the cooled dried marshmallow piece within the tempering temperature range for about 1 to 15 minutes to form a tempered partially cooled, dried marshmallow piece; and C. further cooling the tempered partially cooled, dried marshmallow piece to below its Tg to form a cooled, dried marshmallow piece in solid form that exhibits an increased bowl life.

Dried marshmallow methods of preparation for increasing bowl life

A continuous method for preparing an aerated confection, especially marshmallows, includes the steps of A. continuously forming a clear concentrated sugar syrup in a single vessel by continuously admixing to form a sugar syrup slurry; cooking the sugar syrup slurry with agitation and indirect heat to dissolve the solids, concentrating the sugar syrup by evaporating water as vapor and venting the vapor to form a concentrated clear syrup, wherein the residence time of the syrup within the vessel ranges from about 1 to 5 minutes; B. cooling the clear concentrated syrup without crystallization to form a cooled clear sugar syrup; C. admixing the clear cooled sugar syrup with about 1 to 30% of a foam structuring agent to form a liquid confection blend; D. seeding the liquid confection blend with dry sugar crystals to form a seeded liquid confection blend; E. aerating the seeded liquid confection blend to form an aerated confection plastic foam; F. extruding the aerated foam to form a plastic aerated confection extrudate rope; G. cooling the extrudate rope to solidify the confection to form a set aerated confection extudate rope; H. forming the set aerated confection extrudate rope into pieces; and, I. Drying the pieces to a moisture content of about 1 to 5% to form dried aerated confection pieces.

Process for aerated confection

Apparatus for preparing a chip type snack is disclosed. The apparatus includes a section for preparing and sheeting dough, a section for cutting the dough sheet into a continuous ribbon of wide and narrow portions, a section for frying the ribbon in deep fat, and a section for severing the ribbon into individual chips.

Apparatus for making a fried formed chip

A chip-type snack is disclosed. A dough is prepared and sheeted. An elongated shaped ribbon of connected dough pieces is cut from the dough sheet. The ribbon is passed through a deep fat fryer and then severed into individual chips.

Fried formed chip

Method and apparatus for preparing a chip-type snack is disclosed. A dough is prepared and sheeted. An elongated shaped ribbon of connected dough pieces is cut from the dough sheet. The ribbon is passed through a deep fat fryer and then severed into individual chips.

Growing community of inventors

New Hope, MN, United States of America

Gerald L Wilson