Nabisco Brands, Inc.

Nabisco, Inc.

Nabisco Technology Company

Richard D Fazzolare

Joseph A Szwerc

Bernhard H Van Lengerich

Rudolph J Leschke

Louise Slade

Harry Levine

James M Manns

Theresa E Dzurenko

Mark J Moisey

Martha Y Wang

Rudolf Windmuller

Kevin Addesso

James Ievolella

Wen C Lou

Chris Pappas

Donald G Boehm

Richard R McFeaters

Rich McFeaters

Richard C Hay, Jr

Harry J Bergstrom

The invention is a continuous process and a product of the process for preparing a low fat content chip-like baked snack food from a composition containing at least one ingredient having starch. Water and the ingredient having starch comprise substantially all of the ingredients of the composition. The method involves mixing and heating the composition in a cooker extruder or continuous mixer to form a dough-like consistency. In the most preferred embodiments of the invention the ingredient including starch is a corn and a potato ingredient. The formed composition is sheeted and the sheeted composition is then laminated, educed in thickness, formed into pieces, and baked in a conventional oven. During baking the exterior layer of the dough cooks rapidly and traps steam in the interior portion of the dough. Blisters and curls result in the final product that impart a chip-like appearance to the final product. An alternative embodiment includes applying a spray oil to the pieces before baking to obtain a final product having a flat cracker-like appearance.

Baked potato-based chip-like snack foods and method of preparing

A baked corn-based snack product, composed of a blend of masa corn flour and corn flour and having a crisp, chip-like texture and a blistered chip-like appearance, is prepared by forming a dough from said blend, sheeting the dough, forming the dough sheet into a laminate, cutting the laminate into pieces and then baking the pieces.

Corn-based snack foods and process of preparation

A chip-like snack is prepared by admixing wheat flour, a no or low gluten content starchy material, e.g. potato starch, pregelatinized waxy starch and water to form a dough. The dough is then sheeted and cut into pieces and the pieces are heated to reduce their moisture content to obtain chip-like products having a blistered appearance and a crisp texture.

Production of chip-like starch based snacks

A pregelatinized waxy starch provides for the production of cohesive, continuously machineable doughs from starchy materials or ingredients having starch with no- or low-gluten contents. The pregelatinized waxy starch is admixed with only a portion of the at least one starchy material and only a portion of the water needed to form a machineable dough. This mixing procedure results in uniform hydration of the pregelatinized waxy starch and avoids tearing of the dough sheet during machining. The moisture content of the dough sheets is reduced substantially from above about 25% by weight by heating in air, preferably in a gas-fired oven, to obtain chip-like snacks, such as potato chips and corn chips, having a low oil content, a blistered appearance, and a crisp texture.

Spherical baked goods, such as, cookies, crackers and snacks, are produced on a mass production basis by feeding a farinaceous dough or other food composition to one or a plurality of dies which shape it into ropes. The shaped extrudate ropes obtained from each die are cut by a cutting means, such as, a reciprocating cutter, which severs and shapes the rope into substantially spherical, cylindrical or rounded pieces. The doughs which are cut into substantially spherical, cylindrical or rounded pieces can be raw, partially cooked or baked, or fully cooked. A spherical or rounded shape is maintained or obtained upon subsequent baking or leavening of the substantially spherical dough pieces by continuously moving them relative to the oven conveyer so as to avoid flattening of the dough piece due to spreading. The baked pieces are sufficiently rounded or spherical so as to permit continuous application of confectionery coatings of substantially uniform thickness by pan coating techniques.

Method for producing spherical shaped baked goods

The invention is a continuous process and a product of the process for preparing a low fat content chip-like baked snack food from a composition containing at least one ingredient having starch. Water and the ingredient having starch comprise substantially all of the ingredients of the composition. The method involves mixing and heating the composition in a cooker extruder or continuous mixer to form a dough-like consistency. In the most preferred embodiments of the invention the ingredient including starch is either a corn or a potato ingredient. The heating is conducted until the composition obtains a temperature of from about 130.degree. F. to about 260.degree. F. The composition is extruded under a pressure drop which substantially avoids expansion of the extrudate to obtain an extrudate having a water content of from about 25% by weight to about 60% by weight. The extrudate is sheeted, while hot. The sheeted composition is then laminated, reduced in thickness, formed into pieces, and baked in a conventional oven. During baking the exterior layer of the dough cooks rapidly and traps steam in the interior portion of the dough. Blisters and curls result in the final product that impart a chip-like appearance to the final product. An alternative embodiment includes applying a spray oil to the pieces before baking to obtain a final product having a flat cracker-like appearance.

Starch snack foods

Extruded starch snack foods

Crackers having a hollow interior and capable of being filled can be formed from a particular cracker dough. This cracker dough will contain a lower sugar content and shortening content than cookie or biscuit doughs. In order for the cracker dough to be used to form a hollow cracker, the dough must undergo treatment with proteolytic enzymes so as to selectively sever certain peptide linkages in the dough. This permits a hollow core to be formed upon the baking of the cracker rather than a cellular core. The hollow core of the cracker is filled using conventional needle injection techniques.

Process for making filled crackers

A baked cookie is produced having a two phase interior filling. There is an oil based interior filling and a water based interior filling. The oil based interior filling coats at least part of the interior of the biscuit and enhances the taste of the cookie. Upon this cookie being heated in a microwave oven the water based filling expands and exudes out through the top of the cookie flowing down the exterior surfaces of the cookie and coating these surfaces. This cookie is produced by co-extruding a dough and the oil based filling. The dough piece is than baked whereby there is formed a hollow interior section. It is this hollow interior section that is then filled with the water based filling.

Filled cookie

Microwave-baked cookies can be prepared from a particular cookie dough composition. This cookie dough composition is shelf-stable and should contain gluten, pregelatinized starch and high fructose corn syrup. After being prepared, the cookie dough is formed into individual cookie pieces and prebaked for a short period of time in order to shape the cookie and to provide a gluten-containing skin on the cookie's surface. The prebaked cookie is then packaged and sealed. In this state, the prebaked cookie dough pieces have an extended shelf life. When the cookie dough is to be microwave-baked, it is placed in a microwave oven, optionally covered at least in part by a microwave susceptor material, and the baking process initiated for the instructed time. The result is a hot baked cookie having the taste and texture of a home-baked cookie.

Shelf-stable microwavable cookie dough

The invention is a process and a product of the process for preparing a baked snack food from a composition containing at least one ingredient having starch. The ingredient having starch and the water comprises substantially all of the ingredient of the composition. The method involves steaming the composition to form a dough-like consistency. In the most preferred embodiments of the invention the ingredient including starch is either a corn or a potato ingredient. The steaming is conducted until the composition obtains a temperature of at least 160.degree. F. and preferably 200.degree. F. The composition is held at this temperature for about 2 to about 6 minutes. The composition is then machined, formed into pieces, and baked in a conventional oven. During baking the exterior layer of the dough cooks rapidly and traps steam in the interior portion of the dough. Blisters and curls result in the final product that impart a chip-like appearance to the final product. An alternative embodiment includes applying a spray oil to the pieces before baking to obtain a final product having a flat cracker-like appearance.

Starch snack foods and process

Extruded starch snack foods and process

The invention discloses a baked dough product in which stabilized sunflower seeds have been incorporated into the dough prior to shaping and baking of the dough into a final product. Stabilized sunflower seeds are those which have been partially defatted and then impregnated with a more stable oil.

Crackers having stabilized sunflower seeds

The invention discloses a process for making a baked dough product in which stabilized nuts or seeds have been incorporated into the dough prior to shaping and baking of the dough into a final product. The use of stabilized sunflower seeds in cracker dough is specifically addressed. Stabilized nuts and seeds are those which have been partially defatted and then impregnated with a more stable oil.

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Randolph, NJ, United States of America

Richard D Fazzolare