GB2201573A - Biscuit snacks - Google Patents

Abstract

Biscuit snacks are made by rotary moulding a dough based upon 2 kinds of flour, namely a standard biscuit flour and a wafer biscuit flour, optionally with a powdered calcium carbonate component, possibly as part of an effervescent couple, and/or with a third kind of flour, i.e. malt flour, included in the dough.

Description

BISCUIT SNACKS This invention relates to biscuit snacks which, in comparison with known biscuit snack products, have improved properties, especially in relation to texture and eating qualities. In particular, the invention seeks to provide biscuit snacks which have satisfying bite characteristics, quick and full flavour release and other attractive and desirable attributes.

Many biscuit snacks based upon vegetable and cereal products are known, including a very large number which have a lightweight cellular structure derived by expanding half products or by using other means for creating open cells or pores within the dough used. One well known type of food product having a lightweight porous or cellular structure comprises wafers, such as are used in making certain kinds of biscuits and are also used, e.g. as plates, cones or cornets, for containing ice cream. Wafers and wafer biscuits are conventionally made from batters which incorporate special types of flour, whereas most biscuits are made from doughs based upon other types of flour. It is also known to use minor proportions of many types of ingredients other than flours in the dcughs used to make biscuits and biscuit snacks.

A surprising discovery has been made that biscuit snacks can be produced, having the desirable textural, flavour-release and other properties mentioned and generally having an attractive appearance and exhibiting satisfactory behaviour when eaten, which cannot be achieved otherwise, by heating pieces of a dough containing both a standard biscuit flour and a wafer biscuit flour. In practice, the dough used will also include such typical and customary biscuit and snack dough ingredients as sugar, fat and water. Furthermore, it has also been discovered that the biscuit snacks of the invention are additionally improved, in relation to the desirable characteristics aimed for, if the doughs used to make them also include a small but effective proportion of calcium carbonate powder.

It is well known that reactive inorganic carbonates will produce carbon dioxide in an appropriately acid environment, but the invention is based in part upon the unexpected discovery that the incorporation of calcium carbonate powder in a dough based upon the two types of flour mentioned enhances the development of an attractive and satisfying cellular structure. While it is possible that the formation of cells in the dough pieces may be due to the generation of carbon dioxide, it is also likely that the vaporization of water within the dough pieces contributes to formation of the cellular structure.

Whatever factors may influence the behaviour of the dough when the heating step takes place, it is particularly to be noted that the combination of the two types of flour and, advantageously, the inclusion also of calcium carbonate powder yields the desired texture, without at the same time significantly expanding the dough pieces used to make the biscuit snacks The method of manufacture of biscuit snacks according to the invention is advantageously based upon rotary moulding techniques, in which for example a quantity of dough is formed into discrete portions in mould cavities in a rotary moulding drum and the resultant shaped pieces are subjected to baking, when they have been released from the mould cavities.The biscuit snacks desirably consist of small pieces each having a substantially flat-based surface, produced by shaping dough portions in the mould cavities and removing any excess at the drum surface, while the other surface or surfaces of the dough pieces and therefore of the resultant biscuit snack pieces are determined by the way in which the dough portions are shaped against the mould cavity walls. The mould cavities can of course have any desired shape consistent with known rotary moulding techniques, depending upon the shape and size required for the biscuit snack pieces.

In accordance with an aspect of this invention, therefore, a biscuit snack is made by heating a dough based upon both a standard biscuit flour and a wafer biscuit flour. The terms used for describing the two types of flour have their normal meanings, as they are used and understood in the biscuit-making art. A flour would be suitable for use as the standard biscuit flour, in carrying out this invention, which typically has a protein content in the range of 9 to 11% by weight, while a flour would be suitable for use as the wafer biscuit flour which typically has a protein content in the range from 7 to 10% by weight, both ranges being based upon the weight of the respective flour. It will be understood that these protein contents are given by way of illustration only.

According to one preferred feature of the invention, the dough used to make the biscuit snacks is based upon the biscuit flour and the wafer flour mixed together in proportions by weight which lie in the general range from 75 : 25 to 25 : 75 and which more preferably lie in the range from 65 : 35 to 35 : 65. According to another preferred feature, the two types of flour are used in proportions which are within the preferred part of the general range indicated, there being 40 to 60 parts of one type of flour and 60 to 40 parts of the other by weight, for example.

According to another preferred feature of the invention, the texture, flavour, flavour release and other desirable properties of the biscuit snacks of the invention can be enhanced and improved by incorporatIng a minor amount of food grade calcium carbonate powder, for instance an amount in the range from a trace up to 1.5% or possibly more, by weight of the dough. The amount incorporated is preferably not less than 0.1% by weight, in order that an appreciable effect is obtained and, more desirably, it is in the range from 0.2 to 0.8%. Amounts above 1.8% by weight can be used, but an unattractive "chalky" character may be apparent, if the amount used is, say, as much as 2% by weight.

Another preferred feature of the invention, which has been found to contribute significantly to the attractive texture, flavour and other properties of the biscuit snacks, is the incorporation into the dough of a small but significant proportion of malt flour, consisting for instance of from 2% to 10% and more preferably 4% to 7% by weight of the total dough ingredients. A further desirable and advantageous inclusion is a small proportion of a suitable compound which, in manufacture of the biscuit snacks, may form an effervescent couple or otherwise interact with the calcium carbonate, in order to influence formation of the desired lightweight cellular or honeycomb-like texture. For instance, an amount of sodium bicarbonate, e.g. in the range from 0.05 to 0.75 percent sy weight of the dough mixture, can be used.

EXAMPLE An improved biscuit snack of this invention is made by mixing together the ingredients listed below, forming a dough and feeding the dough to a rotary moulding machine, having mould cavities of desired size and shape.

Ingredient Amount by weight in % RANGE PREFERRED Standard biscuit flour 8 - 18 16 Wafer biscuit flour 12 - 30 24 Malt flour 2 - 8 6 Sugar(s) 12 20 16 Fat 10 - 20 12 - 15 Calcium carbonate 0.1 - 1.0 0.4 - 0.7 Sodium bicarbonate 0.05 - 0.5 0.2 - 0.35 Salt 0.2 - 1.0 0.4 - 0.6 Falvouring(s) 1.0 - 24 10 - 20 Water 2.5 - 6 3 - 5 The mould cavities can have openings in the surface of the drum of oval, circular or other suitable shape, defining a flat base for the resultant biscuit snack pieces, and a smoothly rounded cavity.

It is found that the biscuit snacks can be made from the dough pieces on conventional equipment by standard cooking methods and yet they exhibit the desirable range of properties indicated, including a honeycomb-like texture, easy break-up and dissolution in the mouth and full flavour release.

Claims (22)

CLAIMS:

1. A biscuit snack made by baking a dough which comprises both a standard biscuit flour and a wafer biscuit flour.

2. A biscuit snack made by baking a dough which comprises both a standard biscuit flour having a protein content in the range from 9% to 11% and a wafer biscuit flour having a protein content in the range from 7% to 10%, both ranges being based upon the weight of the respective flour.

3. A biscuit snack according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the dough also includes sugar, fat and water.

4. A biscuit snack according to any preceding claim, wherein the biscuit flour and the wafer flour are present in the dough in proportions by weight in the range from 75:25 to 25:75.

5. A biscuit snack according to claim 4, wherein the biscuit flour and the wafer flour are present in the dough in proportions by weight in the range from 65:35 to 35:65.

6. A biscuit snack according to any preceding claim, wherein calcium carbonate powder is included in the dough.

7. A biscuit snack according to claim 6, wherein the amount of calcium carbonate powder is from a trace up to 1.5% by weight of the dough.

8. A biscuit snack according to claim 7, wherein the amount of calcium carbonate powder is in the range from 0.28 to 0.8% by weight of the dough.

9. A biscuit snack according to any preceding claim, wherein malt flour is included in the dough.

10. A biscuit snack according to claim 9, wherein the amount of malt flour is in the range from 2% to 10% by weight of the total dough ingredients.

11. A biscuit snack according to claim 10, wherein the amount of malt flour is in the range from 4% to 7% by weight.

12 A biscuit snack according to any of claims 6 to 8, wherein a compound is included in the dough which forms an effervescent couple with the calcium carbonate.

13. A biscuit snack according to any preceding claim, wherein sodium bicarbonate is included in the dough.

14. A biscuit snack according to claims 12 and 13, wherein the amount of sodium bicarbonate used is in the range from 0.05% to 0.75% by weight of the dough mixture.

15. A biscuit snack made by baking a dough which comprises the following ingredients in weight%: standard biscuit flour 8 - 18 wafer biscuit flour 12 - 30 malt flour 2 - 8 sugar(s) 12 - 20 fat 10 - 20 calcium carbonate 0.1 - 1.0 sodium bicarbonate 0.05 - 1.0 salt 0.2 - 1.0 flavouring(s) 1.0 - 24 water 2.5 - 6

16. A biscuit snack according to claims 1 or 14, substantially as hereinbefore described.

17. A method of manufacture of a biscuit snack, which comprises forming a dough, feeding it through a rotary moulding machine and subjecting the resulting moulded dough pieces to baking, wherein the dough comprises both a standard biscuit flour and a wafer biscuit flour.

18. A method of manufacture of a biscuit snack, which comprises forming a dough, feeding it through a rotary moulding machine and subjecting the resulting moulded dough pieces to baking, wherein the dough comprises both a standard biscuit flour having a protein content in the range from 9% to 11% and a wafer biscuit flour having a protein content in the range from 7% to 10%, both ranges being based upon the weight of the respective flour.

19. A method according to claim 17 or 18, wherein calcium carbonate powder is included in the dough.

20. A method according to claim 17, 18 or 19, wherein malt flour is included in the dough.

21. A method according to claim 17 or 18, substantially as hereinbefore described.

22. A biscuit snack, when made by a method according to any of claims 17 to 21.