CA1282998C - Soybean oil filler cream compositions - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT

A filler cream containing soybean oil is disclosed which has an improved "get away" property resulting in a rapid burst of flavor when consumed. The filler cream ingredients are mixed, aerated, and cooled simultaneous-ly to obtain a specific gravity of between about 0.85 and about 1.20. The resulting filler cream is utilized as a filler for sandwich cookies or other baked goods.

Description

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IMPROVED SOYBE~N OIL
FILLER CREAM COMPOSITIONS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to filler creams for baked pro-ducts, methods for making the filler creams, and to products containing the filler creams.
BACKGRO~ND OF THE INVENTION
Filler creams have been used in baked goods and other foods in a variety of ways. The common use is to insert a filler cream into a baked pastry by injection. Another common method is to use a filler cream as a laminate or "sandwich" material between two cookie base cakes.
Filler cream compositions are generally comprised of sucrose or sucrose in combination with other sugars, flavorings, and oils or fats. Variations of the ingredients of a filler cream composition can lead to significantly different properties in a filler cream. Sugar combinations can cause a filler cream to be too sweet for eating in large quantities or, if artificial sweet-eners are used, the filler cream can be too bitter for consumeracceptance.

~i ~2~3Z9~3 The oil or fat used in filler creams can be a single oil or fat or a mixture of oils or fats. For purposes of this inven-tion any oil or fat or mixture thereof used in a filler composi-tion is indenti~ied by the term "oleaginous composition".
Desirable oleaginous compositions used in filler creams for sandwich cookies are firm, but soft or "spreadable" at ordinary storage temperatures. Desirable oleaginous compositions must have good whipping and creaming properties that develop a Eiller cream with a light, consistent texture during whipping and aeration process steps. Also, desirable oleaginous compositions have a palatable flavor with little or no after taste and produce a filler cream that dissolves rapidly at body temperature when consumed. Oleaginous compositions used in commercial filler creams must have good shelf storage properties.
It is desirable for a filler cream to have a short "plastic range" in which there is a high solid fat content at low temperatures and approxiamately no solid fat content above body temperature. The term, plastic range, refers to the temperature range in which a filler cream fat or oleaginous composition is neither completely solid nor completely liquid. In this range, the filler cream fat is pliable, but not completely fluid. A
typical filler cream is manufactured from a soybean oil based oleaginous composition and sugar.
The whipping or aerating qualities of an oleaginous com-position refer to the ability of that oleaginous composition to hold air incorporated into it. Air is sparged into the oleaginous composition as it is mixed at a temperature of about 95 degrees F.
The air is desirably retained by the filler cream at room tempera-ture for several months. Desirable whipping or aerating qualities in an oleayinous composition produce a filler cream that is "light" on the palate when consumed. Light characteristics of a filler cream are best understood by comparing a whipped cream product to a solid fat product such as margarine. A solid fat product melts slowly on the tongue and leaves an oleaginous coating. A whipped cream product dissolves rapidlv and leaves little or no oily after taste. Aeration also controls firmness of the filler cream. Generally, increasing the aeration of a filler cream increases its softness.
The characteristics of an oleaginous composition can be altered without changing the source of the oils or fats in the composition. This is done by altering the amount of hydrogenation of the oils, the ratio of various oils to one another in the com-position, and the amount of fractionation of the oils. Increased hydrogenation or factionation usually imparts greater plasticity ~ .

to an oleaginous composition. A reference detailing the proper-ties of various food oils is Weis, Food Oils And Their Uses, The AVI Publishing Company (2d ed. 1983).
Filler cream compositions known in the art of producing cookies are usually made from inexpensive oils or fats such as soYbean oil and are processed so as to achieve a stiff fi]ler cream, which can be applied to base cakes of cookies without the use of high temperatures. These filler creams are then quickly solidified in cooling apparatuses and remain solid and firm throughout three months or more o-f storage. Good storage or shelf stability characteristics are frequen-tly achieved in a filler cream at the sacrifice of desirable mouth feel characteristics.
As a result traditional filler creams made from inexpensive oils or fats are used in sandwich cookies leave an oily or waxy after taste and remain firm and partially solid at body temperature.
The shelf life of a filler cream can be improved by in-corporating antioxidants into the oleaginous composition.
Antioxidants prevent the development of undesirable flavors and odors associated with rancidity of fats or oils present in the filler cream. A three to nine month shelf life is desirable for commercial Eiller creams. Desirable shelf life or stability . `, 8Z9~8 characteristics include resistance to structural, microbial, flavor, and color degradation.
U.S. Patent Number 3,244,536 to Kidger discloses a pro-cess for ma~inq a traditional filler cream used in sandwich cookies. The oleaginous composition used in this invention con-tains two components. The first component is a commercially hydrogenated fat with a high content of C18 Eatty acids. The second component, which is a vegetable oil containing component, has a high proportion of lauric acid. These two components are blended and subjected to intersterification. Any animal fats or vegetable oils can be used as the first component for this inven-tion. Tallow and lard are preferred for use as the second component. The vegetable oils used for the first component are indentified in the various embodiments as coconut oil and palm kernel oil.
U.S. Patent Number 2,359,228 to Lloyd et al. discloses a filler cream which has good storage properties that are achieved b~ incorporating dried starch conversion syrup solids into the cream. The substitution of dextrose with dry corn syrup stabil-izes the moisture content within the final cookie product withoutproducing a "gritty" filler cream.
U.S. Patent Number ~,~10,552 to GafEeny et al. discloses an example oE a filler cream. In this patent the filler cream is .~ .

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used for chocolate candies in which the oleaginous composition is altered to improve and enhance '5mouth feel". The materials used in this invention are a combination of fats, sugars, water~ and colloid substances. This combination is mixed and whipped to-gether into a semi-plastic mass. The cream filler that is obtain-ed, it is taught, does not have a texture which is either sticky or fatty-like.
U.S. Patent Number 4,310,557 to Suggs et al. discloses Eood emulsifiers which are useful in producing filler creams and other products. The emulsifiers can produce products that are light in texture.
The present invention provides an inexpensive filler cream suitable for use with sandwich cookies and other foods that remains firm during stora~e, has a creamy, non-gritty texture and quick "get away" characteristics when consumed. As used herein "get away" characteristics means the perception of rate of dissolution of the filler cream in the mouth. A filler cream with "quick get away" characteristics is one which is perceived by an expert taste panel as dissolving, melting, changing from solid to liquid, or disappearing quickly or rapidly in the mouth, without a waxy or oily after taste. In the filler creams of the present invention, an oleaginous composition which changes Erom a Eirm texture to a liquid within a narrow temperature z9~

~ 7 range and which is essentially completely liquid at body or mouth temperatures cluiekens the get-away eharacteristics of the filler cream.
SUMMA~Y OF THE INVENTION
Accorcling to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a filler eream for producing sandwieh cookies wherein the filler eream is a laminate separating two cookie base eakes sald cream comprising:
~a) an oleaginousl composi.tion containincl soyhean oil, the oleayinous composition having a solid fa-t inclex of:
(i) about 46 to about 52 pereent solid at 50F., (ii) ahout 26 to about 33 pereent solid at 70F., (iii) about 9 to about 15 pereent solid at 80F., (iv) up to 5 pereent solid at 92F., (v) 0 percent solid at 104F., and (b) a sugar mixed into said oleaginous eomposition, said filler eream having a speeific yravit~ of between about 0.85 and about 0.95, and having a creamy, non-gritty texture and c~uiek get-away charaeteristics while being sufficiently firm to resist being sclueezed out from between sclicl base cakes upon eating.
Aeeording to a further aspeet of the present invention there is provided a proce.ss for making a filler eream for produeing sandwieh eookies wherein the filler eream remains firm upon storage and i.s a lam:Lnate separating two eookie base eakes, saicl process eomprislng:
(a) lleating an oleaginous composition containing .so~bean oil, ;3 z~
7a the oleaginous composition having a solid fat index of:
(i) about 46 to about 52 percent solid at 50 F., (ii) about 26 to ahout 33 percent solid at 70F., (iii) about 9 to about 15 percent solid at 8~~., (iv) u.p to 5 percent solid at 92F., (v) 0 percent solid at 104 F., (b) blending a sugar and said oleaginous composition to form a slurry, and (c) aerating and mixing said slurry with simultaneous cooling to a temperature belo~ about 78F. to form a filler cream having a specific gravity of bet~1een about 0.85 and about 1.20, a creamy, non-gritty tex-ture and quick get-away characteristics while being sufficiently firm to resist being squeezed out from between said base cakes upon eating.
This filler cream has enhanced quick get-away properties. These properties are such that the filler cram has a high solids content at normal storage temperatures to provide a firm texture, but melts rapidly during consumption upon contact with the tongue. The rapid melting of the oil composition enables the sugar and any flavouriny inyredients to quickly coat the tongue giving a rapid f:lavor sensation.

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DETAILED DE~SCRIPTION OF THE INV~:NTION
-The filler cream of this invention has a soybean oil containing oleaginous composition having a solid fat index of from about 26 to about 33 percent solid material at 70 degrees F and up to about 5 percent solid material at 92 degrees F. This filler cream also has a sugar mixed into the oleaginous composition. The filler cream of this invention has a specific gravity between about 0.85 and about 1.20. The oleaginous composition of this invention is a mixture of soybean oil with one or more other oils or fats. The sugar used is typically sucrose, but can be ~ com-bination of sucrose with other sugars including fructose, dex-trose, lactose, and mixtures thereof. The specific gravity of the filler cream is achieved by aeration or whipping processes using equipment which is standard in the art.
The filler cream of this invention remains firm at room temperatures but has a "quick get away" property upon consumption.
This property causes the consumer to realize a quick burst of sweetness and flavoring when the filler cream melts on the consumer's tongue.
The flller cream of this invention can he prepared by first heating the oleaginous compositlon to between about 105 degrees F and about 120 degrees F. Flavorings and ~ny non-sugar ~ ,/, .

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g ingredients, such as non-fat dry milk powder, are added to the heated oleaginous composition. Sugar is then added to this mix-ture. The sugar is not dissolved in the oleaginous composition, but is added with mixing to form a suspension.
The mixture of oil, sugar, and miscellaneous ingredients is aerated and mixed simultaneously. As the air sparging or aera-tion step begins, the temperature of the mixture is reduced to below about 78 degrees F. The reduction in temperature of the mixture occurs within approximately 5 minutes and is best per-formed in a mixing machine having three or more distinct tempera-ture reduction zones. Such mixing machines, by reducing the temperature of the mixture or filler cream composition, produce a high concentration of beta-prime fat crystals in the filler cream.
seta-prime fat crystals impart stable aerating properties to a filler cream.
The step of air sparging, which includes mixing and cooling the filler cream composition, is critical to producing a filler cream with the desired properties of this invention. The addition of sugar and the other ingredients to the heated oleaginous composition lowers the temperature of the "slurry" or filler cream composition to between 95 degrees F and 100 degrees F. At this temperature the filler cream composition has a specific gravity of between approximately 1.20 to approximately 1.25. Upon air sparging and rapid mixing of the "slurry" a filler cream specific gravity of between about 0.85 to about 1020 is obtained. The most desirable specific gravity for the filler is between 0.85 and 0.95. A high concentration of air in the filler cream gives the filler cream a light "feel" or sensation on the tongue during consumption.
The solid fat index of the oleaginous compos.ition is critical to achieving the properties required for a soybean oil containing filler cream according to this invention. The solid fat index of the oleaginous composition is most critical between storage temperatures of about 70 degrees F and body temperature of about 92 degrees F. An oleaginous composition for use in this invention has a solid fat index within the ranges presented in Table I.

TABLE I
-SOLID FAT INDEX

Degrees F % Solid Range -minimum maximum 46 to 52 26 to 33 9 to 15 92 0.0 to 5.0 104 0.0 to 0.0 .~

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Oleaginous compositions having a solid fat index within the above ranges produce a filler cream with improved "quick get away" properties when compared to conventional soybean oil containing filler creams. Filler creams according to this invention also remain firm at storage temperatures.
Oleaginous compositions containing mixtures of s~ybean oil and one or more other oils and having a solid fat index according to the above ranges can be obtained from numerous sources. Suitable oleaginous compositions can have numberous mix-tures of either fractionated or unfractionated oils and oilshaving various degrees of hydrogenation.
The preferred oleaginous composition is a combination of two oils each of which is partially hydrogenated, fractionated, and interesterified. These oils are:

TABLE II
PREFERRED OLEAGINO~S COMPOSITION
Oil % Of Volume :
Minimum Maximum Palm Kernel 45 to 55 Soybean 55 to ~5 .~ 7 3Z9~8 The decreased concentration of soybean oil in this in~
vention when compared to conventional filler cream, decreases the "waxy" mouth feel experienced with conventional soybean oil con-taining filler creams.
Alternative embodiments include oleaginous compositions in similar ratios to that listed in Table II, but substitutinq palm oil, cotton seed oil, or coconut oil or mixtures thereof in whole or in part for the palm kernel oil or soybean oil. Complete replacement of the soybean oil is not preferred because of the higher costs of other oils. The inclusion of palm oil, cotton seed oil, coconut oil, or other edible oils can effect the organo-leptic ~ualities of the filler cream without greatly varying the "quick get away" properties.
Alternative embodiments of this invention can include an oleaginous composition in combination with an emulsifier. For example, polyglycerol esters in combination with soybean oil and palm kernel oil are useful in producing a smooth filler cream with a" quick get away". Generally, the emulsifiers assist in the incorporation of sugar and other ingredients into an oleaginous composition.

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Filler cream compositions containing less than about ~0 percent by weight oleaginous composition and more than about 60 percent by weight sugar, based upon the total weight of the sugar and oleaginous composition are preferred because of: 1) the relatively higer cost of the oleaginous composition and 2) the risk of melting of the oleaginous composition during adverse summertime storage and transportation temperatures. If any of the oleaginous composition melts, there would be more s~gar available to be coated to retain the oil and to retain the structure of the filler cream and baked good.
~ owever, as the weight percent of the oleaginous com-position decreases, the filler is generally preceived as less creamier and more gritty as the particles size of the sugar increases. To provide a creamy, non-gritty texture, at low weight percentages of oleaginous compositions, the sugar may be preground or the mixture of sugar and oleginous material may be ground. In either case, it is desirable to obtain a particle size for the sugar of less than 40 microns. These compositions may suitably comprise from about 32% to about 38% by weight of the oleginous compositions and from about 62~ to about 68% by weight of the ground sugar, based upon the total weight of the ground sugar and oleaginous composition. The percentages of sugar refer to sucrose alone or to mixtures of sucrose with other sugars such as ,1 ~2~

fructose, dextrose, or lactose. Although costs would be higher, 40% by weight or more of the oleaginous composition may be used with coarser sugars during winter months to obtain filler creams having a creamy texture and "quick get away". More than about 45 percent oleaginous composition in the cream filler generally causes the cream filler to be too thick or "heavy" when consumed.
Alternative embodiments of the filler cream oE this in-vention include a stiffener ingredient. A desirable stifEener is non-fat milk powder which can be added in an amount between about 3 and about 10 percent based upon the weight of the Eiller cream.
Excessive amounts of non-fat milk powder cause the final texture of the filler cream to have a "gritty" feel on the tongue of a consumer. The absence of a stiffener does not adversely affect the "quick get away" properties of the filler cream. A filler cream made without a stiffener has the tendency to melt at near room temperatures after prolonged periods of storage. Lecithin can also be used as a processing aid to improve flow properties of the slurry. Dextrose and/or edible fused silica can be used in amounts up to about 10 percent by weight as a stabilizer for the filler cream, based upon the weight of the filler cream. In amounts above about 5 percent, dextrose tends to impart a . ;~

cooling sensation to the filler cream during consumption.
Various flavorings can be added to the filler cream com-position. Suitable amounts range up to about 1 part by weight of flavoring, based upon the weight of the filler cream, Typical flavorings which can be used are vanilla, chocolate, coffee, and peppermint. Numberous suitable flavorings and extracts are com-mercially available. ~'anilla is the preferred flavoring.
Sugar or sucrose is the primary ingredient of a Eiller cream made according to this invention. The sugar is sifted into the oleaginous composition before air spargin, mixiny, and cool-ing. Commercially available sugars, such as fine granulated table sugar, or AX, 6~, 10X, or 12X sugars or mixtures of sugars may be used in the present invention. However, grinding of coarse sugars to a finer particle size is more economical than the use of 10X or finer sugars. The finer or powdered sugars tend to densify and agglomerate upon storage prior to incorporation into the filler.
Grinding to a particle size of less than 40 microns, results in non-gritty and significantly smoother filler cream textures, particularly when the filler composition contains from about 33~
to about 38~ of the oleaginous composition, based upon the total weight of the oleaginous composition and sugar.

-~Zl329~8 The base cakes or cookie pieces used with a filler cream, according to this invention, need not be made from any special formulas~ A soft base cake breaks apart more easily when eaten by a consumer. A hard base cake tends to resist breakage and can cause a filler cream to be squeezed out of the sides of a sandwich cookie. The firmness of the filler creams made with soy-bean oil according to this invention is sufficient to resist being squeezed out from between the base cakes when a cookie is eaten.
With some base cakes an oil migration from the filler cream into the cake can occur during prolonged storage. This problem can be reduced or elinimated by altering the base cake formula to include less shortening or oil. After manufacturing the cookies the oil from the filler cream migrates into the base cakes to produce an acceptable oil concentration in the base cakes. This migration occurs over a period of a few days or weeks. Alternatively, a film coating or wax coating can be applied to the layer of a base cake that receives the filler cream. These coatings act as a barrier to the oil migrating from the filler cream.
The following examples further illustrate the present invention. All pèrcentages and parts are by weight and all temperatures are in degrees F unless otherwise indicated.

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EXAMPLE I
A filler cream may be prepared from the following ingredients and their relative amounts.

INGREDIENTS QUANTITY
lbs. ozs.
Sugar 6X 137 0 Oleaginous Composition 100 0 Vanilla 0 0.9 The oleaginous composition may be a mixture of 50~ by weight soybean oil and 50% palm kernel oil. The composition may have an SFI of 49% at 50 degrees F, 29% at 70 degrees F, 12~ at 80 degrees F, 2.5% at 92 degrees F, and 0% solids at 104 degrees F.
The oleaginous composition may then be heated to 110 degrees F
with mixing. Vanilla flavor can be added to the heated oils. The 6X powdered sugar may be sifted and added slowly to the mixture with continued mixing. The resulting slurry may have a tempera-ture oE between about 95 degrees F and about 100 degrees F and a .~

~2~98 specific gravity of about 1.20.
Upon suspension of the sugar in the oleaginous composi-tion, air sparging begins in conjunction with rapid, simultaneous mixing and cooling of the composition to below 75 degrees F. The air sparging and mixing continue until the filler cream obtains a specific gravity of 0~90. The aerating, mixing, and cooling may be performed in a Votator icing mixing machine made by Anco Votator* Division, Cherry Berrell Corporation, Louisville, Kentucky. The filler cream may then be transported to a tempera-ture controlled sandwich unit that applies the filler cream to base cakes on a commercial sandwich cookie manufacturing line.

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-- 19 -- . , EXAMPLE II
The ingredients and amounts which may be used to prepare a filler cream can be:

INGREDIENTS QUANTITY
lbs. ozs.
Sugar 6X 127 0 Oleaginous Compositions of Example I 100 0 Non-fat dry milk 10 0 Vanilla 0 0.9 The filler cream may be prepared as in Example I except the non fat dry milk is added with the vanilla to the heated oils.

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EXAMPLE III
The ingredients and their relative amounts which may be used to prepare a filler cream can be:

INGREDIENTS QUANTITY
lbs. ozs.
Sugar 6X 117 0 Soybean oil 45 0 Palm kernel oil 55 0 Dextrose 20 0 Vanilla 0 O.g The soybean oil and the palm kernel oil may be formulated to provide an oleaginous composition havin~ an SFI as : in Example I. The filler cream may be prepared as in Example I
except the dextrose is added with the vanilla to the hot oils.

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EXAMPLE IV
A filler cream may be prepared with a more finely granulated sugar to obtain a Eirmer but creamier or less gritty mouthfeel than the filler of Example I. The procedure used may be the same as that used in Example I. The ingredients and their relative amounts may be:

INGREDIENTS QUANTITY
lbs. ozs.
Sugar 10X 137 0 Soybean oil 50 0 Palm kernel oil 25 0 Coconut oil 25 0 The soybean oil, palm kernel oil, and coconut oil may be formulated to provide an oleaginous composition having an SFI as in Example I.

i EXAMPLE V
A filler ~ream may be prepared using the procedure of Example I except the ingredients and their relative amounts may be:

INGREDIENTS PARTS BY WEIGHT
Preground sugar (less than 40 microns) 66 Oleaginous Composition of Example I 34 Vanilla 0.02 The preground sugar may be prepared by grinding a commercially available fine granulated table sugar.

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Claims (11)

1. A filler cream for producing sandwich cookies wherein the filler cream is a laminate separating two cookie base cakes said cream comprising:
(a) an oleaginous composition containing soybean oil, the oleaginous composition having a solid fat index of:
(i) about 46 to about 52 percent solid at 50°F., (ii) about 26 to about 33 percent solid at 70°F., (iii) about 9 to about 15 percent solid at 80°F., (iv) up to 5 percent solid at 92°F., (v) 0 percent solid at 104°F., and (b) a sugar mixed into said oleaginous composition, said filler cream having a specific gravity of between about 0.85 and about 0.95, and having a creamy, non-gritty texture and quick get-away characteristics while being sufficiently firm to resist being squeezed out from between said base cakes upon eating.

2. The filler cream of claim 1 wherein said soybean oil is from 45 to 55 percent of said oleaginous composition by weight.

3. The filler cream of claim 2 wherein a palm kernel oil is from 55 to 45 percent of said oleaginous composition.

4. The filler cream of claim 1 wherein said oleaginous composition is about 32% by weight to about 38% by weight, based upon the total weight of the sugar and oleaginous composition.

5. The filler cream of claim 4 wherein said sugar has a particle size of less than about 40 microns.

6. A sandwich cookie comprising said filler cream of claim 5 as a laminate separating two cookie base cakes.

7. A process for making a filler cream for producing sandwich cookies wherein the filler cream remains firm upon storage and is a laminate separating two cookie base cakes, said process comprising:
(a) heating an oleaginous composition containing soybean oil, the oleaginous composition having a solid fat index of:
(i) about 46 to about 52 percent solid at 50°F., (ii) about 26 to about 33 percent solid at 70°F., (iii) about 9 to about 15 percent solid at 80°F., (iv) up to 5 percent solid at 92°F., (v) 0 percent solid at 104°F., (b) blending a sugar and said oleaginous composition to form a slurry, and (c) serating and mixing said slurry with simultaneous cooling to a temperature below about 78°F. to form a filler cream having a specific gravity of between about 0.85 and about 1.20, a creamy, non-gritty texture and quick get away characteristics while being sufficiently firm to resist being squeezed out from between said base cakes upon eating.

8. A process as claimed in claim 7 wherein the amount of said oleaginous composition is about 32% by weight to about 38%
by weight, based upon the total weight of the sugar and oleaginous composition, and said sugar has a particle size of less than about 40 microns.

9. A process as claimed in claim 7 wherein said slurry is subjected to grinding to reduce the particle size of said sugar to less than 40 microns.

10. A process as claimed in claim 8 wherein the aeration provides a filler cream having a specific gravity of between about 0.85 and about 0.95.

11. A process as claimed in claim 7 wherein said soybean oil is from 45 to 55 percent of said oleaginous composition by weight.

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