Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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LI~ OF TtlL INVENT:[ON:
Ihis invention relates to a specialty ice cream product
-- a confection product -- which has a coated core admixed with
ice cream. The core pieces, before coatiny, may have a
substantially hard and dry surface, such as crunchy cereal, and
are coated with at least one layer of a fatty surface including
hydrogenated vegetable fat in its formulation. Alternatively, a
multi-layer coatin~ may have every second layer of dry powder
such as icing sugar or cocoa powder, or may have multiple fatty
10 Coatings.
The invention further provides a method of making the
specialty ice cream product, by which the fatty coating material
having a hydrogenated vegetable fat in its formulation is
dispensed in sufficient quantities to form one layer at a time,
and where each layer is permitted to harden or at least become
sticky or tacky before the next layering step is begun.
BACK(;ROUND OEi' T~IE. INV~N'rION:
A co-pendincJ Canadian patent application, Serial No.
473,62~ of which two inventors and the assignee are comrnon to the
present invention, relates to a chocolate coating formulation and
the process for making that formulation. The chocolate coating
formulation is such that its vicosity may be controlled and is
consistent from batch to batch, so that its use in industrial
processes in large quantities and using mechanized equipment, is
possible. The advantages are, of course, consistent product and
lower costs.
One of the characteristics of the present invention is
that the coating material that is used to coat the core pieces
includes h~dro(Jenated vegetab]e fat in its fo-rmulation, and that
it is a form~lation which preferably solidifies below about 25
(C) and is fully li-quid over about 35 (C).
It is another aspect of the present invention, that
although not necessary, it is usual that the coating material is
or comprises a chocolate coating, for flavour; and while it may
comprise such as a pre-mixed flavoured fatty syrup,
confectioner's fat, chocolate syrup, and pre-rnixed chocolate
coating, a chocolate coating of the aforesaid application is
particularly appropriate.
There is always an appreciable demand in the market for
ice cream, for chocolate, for chocolate with ice cream, for
discrete crunchy food pieces mixed with ice cream and preferably
with chocolate, and always for interesting and new confectionary
products. Other such products are taught in the prior art,
including a sizzling and crunchy chocolate candy taught by
B~UELLE in United States patent No. ~,289,790, issued September
15, 19~1. However, that candy product is one which, while it has
a crunchy core coated by chocolate, also requires that the
crunchy centre be surrounded with alternating layers of chocolate
and particles of gasified candy. The gaslfied candy is a hard
candy which contains a c~as, and has a short-lived popping or
sizzling sensation when placed in the mouth.
~ETMAN, in United States Patent No. ~,189,289 issued
Eebruary l9, 19~0, teaches a method and apparatus for coating
frozen confectlons with chocolate, by spraying the chocolate onto
the frozen bodies which are themselves mounted on sticks.
Thereafter, pieces of eatable material such as chopped nuts and
the like may be impinged against a softened chocolate coating
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whicll has been so~tened by heating, so as to adhere thereto.
Thus, in that patent the ice cream exists first, it is coated
with chocolate, ancl finally nut pieces or other foods -are
impinged on and adhered to the chocolate coating over the ice
cream.
MILLING, in Unite~ States Patent No. 3,77~,032, issued
December 11, lg73 is particularly concerned with an apparatus for
mixing and conditioning aerated chocolate, fat and cereal
particles, where the cereal may be such as puffed or crisped
rice. The principal purposes, however, are to avoid de-aerating
the chocolate and fdt, to maintain a good mixture, and thereby to
provide centers for candy bars.
One other prior art patent is U.S. Patent No. 4,341,678,
- issued February 14, 1984 to SOLLICH, where irregularly-shaped
objects may be coated with chocolate by essentially peeling a
chocolate layer off a roller and letting it drape and flood over
the irregularly-shaped objects to be coated as they move beneath
the doctor blade on a conveyer belt.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF T[IE P~ESENT INVENTION:
In contradistinction to any oE the prior art, the
present invention provides a product and a method for making the
product where relatively small discrete food particles are coated
with at least one layer of coating having a hydrogenated
vegetable fat in its formulation, and is then admixed into ice
cream to provide a novelty ice cream product. The core material
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that is to be coated may be such as a crunchy cereal product, or
crushed and screened roasted nut pieces, peanut halves, dried
raisins, dried fruit pieces -- particularly apple -- and even
mini marshmallows. Consumer preferences are such that the coating
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materia] is or comprises chocolate flavouring; but it may also
comprise icing sugar and/or cocoa powder, or be flavoured with
other flavourin~. -
Xndeed, it should also be noted that several market5 research studies have su~ested the acceptability and requirement
in the market for novelty confections -- especially novelty
confections that require choco]ate or have chocolate as a
flavouring constituent. Included amony them are the fact that an
increasing demand for chocolate comes about as a consequence of a
decreased bad image about chocolate. Studies by the Food and Druy
Administration (FDA) of the United States have shown that, for
the most part, acne is not diet related, and particularly that it
appears not to be related to an intake of chocolate. Moreover, an
enzyme has been found in chocolate that appears to inhibit
bacterial action of the sort that promotes tooth decay and
placque; resulting in the conclusion that chocolate may, in fact,
be beneEicial to the teeth. Finally, customer surveys indicate
that Consumers would preEer chocolate having a crunch aspect to
it, over plain chocolate. This has led, therefore, to the
development of various kinds of chocolate confections; and in the
present invention, to the deve]opment of various chocolate coated
cores -- usually having crunch -- which can be admixed with ice
~ cream (or frozen yogurt and the like) so as to make a specialty
;~ ice cream confection product or other kinds of frozen desserts.
The use of certain kinds of chocolate may result in a less
noticeable chocolate flavour, so that the coating material can be
flavoured with other flavours. Of course, various chocolates
such as milk or dark chocolates, or compound chocolates, can be
used. They are generally distinguished one from another by
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texture, lnclucIing mouthfeel, sweetness, and chocolatitude; and
these various kinds of chocolate can be produced using differing
formulations of quality pure or compound chocolate coatings.
It has also been determined that various kinds of core
material can be used in the preparation of specifically ice cream
; confections according to the present invention. For example,
dense core materials could be used such as crushed and screened
roasted nut pieces, and particularly such things as peanut
halves, almonds, macadamla nuts, pecans and the like; or low
density crunchy (or soft) core food products could be used such
as crispied rice, other crispied cereals such as crispied oats or
corn (some of which may be sugar or sweetened coating covered,
for example CAP'N CRUNC~ -- trade mark of General Mills), dried
fruits such as raisins, coconut and apple, or even such low
density products tIlat have a relatively hard and dry surface as
mini marshmallows. Also, as noted, the coating mate.rial has a
relatively high cocoa butter or e~uivalent fat content, and
certain flavourincJ.s can be added to the coating formulation such
;~ as malt, maple, honey, mint, coffee, vanilla, citrus or other
fruit flavours. This, of course, modifies the chocolate flavour
or overcornes the chocolate flavour to substitute the newer
flavour i.n some circumstances.
In any event, what is provided is a coated core product
where the coating has a fatty substance in it which may be chosen
from the group comprising hydrogenated palm oil, partially
hydrogenated palm oil, vegetable oil, coconut oil and -- more
usually -- cocoa butter; and the coating normally comprises a
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number of layers, whIch may or may not be the same coati.ng
material as the previous layer over which each subsequent coating
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layer is applied.
Yor exarnple, the coating may comprise from one to twenty
layers, or it may comprise from three to twenty-one layers; and
in the latter case, where odd numbers of layers are finally
provided on each coated core piece, the first layer and every
second layer -- and the last layer -- is a fatty coating
material, and each of the intervening layers may be a dry powder
material. In such instances where a dried powder material is
used, the dry powder may be icing sugar, cocoa powder, milk
powder or whey powder. The coatiny layers may be applied in a
variety of manners, as discussed below.
Representative coatings, particularly chocolate coating
formulations, may have compositions as follows:
Typical Compos _ ion 1:
Cocoa butter 55 to 65%
Fine Suyar 30 to 52%
Cocoa poweder/emulsiEier mixture l to 1~%
Typical Composition 2:
Chocolate Liquor or equivalent 5~ to 55%
Sugar 45 to 52%
Cocoa ~utter or equivalent fat 5 to 6%
Soy Lecithin 0.1 to 0.5%
Other flavouring ~ to ~.5%
Indeed, ~in Typical Composition 2, such flavours as
ment~ioned above can be pre~sent;in amounts up to 2% by weight, and
may ;be incorporated in the flavourlng composition as powders or
as~oils, provided that the flavouring dlsperses and is thorouyhly
mixed into the coatiny composition.
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In broad terms, the method of making a specialty ice
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cream confection product having a coated core admixed ~ith ice
cream, accordiny to the present invention, comprises the
following ste~s: - -
(a) coating a plurality of core pieces which are food
pieces having random shapes and mixed sized that are generallybelow about l~mm. with at least one layer of fatty substance
which includes an at least partially hydrogenated vegetable fat
in its forrnulation, and which solidifies below about 25 (C) and
is fully liquid over about 35 (C);
(b) admixing the coated core pieces with ice cream; and
(c) placing said admixed ice cream with coated core
pieces confection into suitable containers for subsequent cold
storage and handling.
As stated above, each of the core pieces has a
substantially hard and dry surface, and the surface of each core
piece is at least slightly irregular. Usually, the maximum
dimensions of the food pieces are in the range of 2 mm. to 6 mm.,
they could be less although the handling of the core pieces
becomes di~Eicult, the maximum dimensions may be more but then
the acceptability of the specialty ice cream product with large
coated core pieces to the Consumer must be considered.
While the core pieces have a hard, irregular and dry
surface, that surface can in some circumstances be slightly
porous. This may be particularly true in the case of crunchy
cereal products, and the like.
According to the present invention, there are several
methods for coating the core piece~s. The coating may be either a
liquidj or it may be sprayed droplets, or indeed the coating
could be applied by atomizing the same. In the latter instance,
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it is not necessary in the usual sense for a fatty chocolate (or
~lavoured) coating to be applied by atomization, which is an
expensive process, because - it is not necessary for the coated
core product to have a shiny or even a uniform surface appearance
hecause the coated core product will be incorporated into another
(ice cream) product.
Using a li~uid coating, the core pieces are placed in a
tumbling pan, and the coating material is dispensed into the
tumbling pan. Ihe product may be dispersed simply by dispensing
the liquid coating material in any convenient manner, such as
using a scoop; but it is important to note that, when the coating
material is dispensed into the tumbling pan, the tumbling
procedure is maintained until all the core pieces in the pan are
relatively evenly coated before the next layer is applied. At the
same time, each layer is permitted essentially to cool and harden
be~ore the dispensing and coating step is repeated, or before the
coated core pieces are removed from the tumbling pan.
As stated, particularly for low density core materials,
the li~uicl coating materia:L may be dispensed into a tumbling pan
such as by spraying the coating material using a spray nozzle.
Indeed, the coating material can be Eormed -- particularly on a
fluffy and/or crunchy cereal core -- by spraying the fat
constltuen~t or fat mixture of the~ coatlng material, and then by
spraying or dispersing the dry cocoa powder and~or sugar powder
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~25 constituent of the mixture~
In the more usual sense where alternating fatty and dry
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coatiny layers are placed on the core material, each coating
layer of the fatty coating material, except the last layer, may
be allowed to cool until the coatlng lS slightly sticky or tacky.
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Thereafter, every second layer is placed by dispersing the powder
coating material into the tumbling pan, where such powder coatiny
material may be sugar, cocoa powder, milk powder, or whey powder.
In some cases, especially when a milk ingredient is used such as
skim milk, whole milk, or whey powder, they can be alternated or
combined, or used in later coatings, so as to form differences of
dark chocolate or milk chocolate within the coating on the coated
core.
The coating operation may be carried out at room
temperature, and sometimes it may be carried out with a stream of
cold air haviny a temperature of from 5 C to 15 C being
directed at the core pieces as they are tumbled in a tumbling
pan.
Several examples follow, showing the use of different
core materials.
~XAMPLt 1:
Several batches, each having 1~ kc~s. of medium sized raw
or roasted peanut halves, were each placed in a stainless steel
slanted rotating pan. The peanuts were dry roasted for
approximately five minutes by tumbling the peanuts while each pan
was rotated and heated by a gas flame directed at the outside of
the pan. This heat treatment was made to thermally sanitize the
peanuts; and at the same time, a better flavour, texture, and
crunch,~ Were added to the peanuts. The roasted peanuts were then
25 ~ cooled to below 25 C by directing cold air against them.
~ ~ A low melting point chocolate coating, having a mild
;~ ~ chocolate characteristic, and having a melting point of 25 to 32
C, ~was prepared and tempered at 38 to 45 C before being used.
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The liquid chocolate was a~ded to the tumbliny peanuts, in some
cases by dispersiny liquid chocolate using a scoop into the
tumbling pan, and in other cases by s~praying the chocolate usiny
a nozzle. In any event, the chocolate coatiny wa-s added in
quantities ot about 500 yrams at a time onto the peanuts for each
batch, and the coated peanuts were continually tumbled until such
time as they were relatively evenly coated. Further 50U gram
portions of the coating were added with continuous tumbling,
until the desired quantity of chocolate coating was applied. For
example, after two coating steps, the coated core product of each
batch had a weight of about 11 kys. and after seven coating steps
it had a weiyht of about 13.5 kgs. However, because of a slight
amount ot wastage, it has been found that approximately 1~.1 kgs
of chocolate coating, togetller with 1~ kgs. of peanuts, are
required to yield 20 kgs. of chocolate coated peanuts.
Depending on the average size of peanuts, the ratio of
chocolate coating to peanut will vary. For example, smaller sized
peanuts -- or peclnut pieces -- generally required less coating
tllan larger peanuts.
EXAMPLE 2:
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In the same manner as discussed above in Example 1, 10
kgs. of small or medium small almonds were placed in a stainless
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~ steel rotating tumbling pan. Using a similar procedure, with low
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melting point dark chocolate coa-ting (melting point of 28 to 32
C), and 1~.1 kgs. of that coating, 20 kgs. of chocolate coated
almonds were produced.
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_ ~L~ 3:
In this example, commercially available CA~'N Cl~UNC~
(I`M) cereal product was used.j3.5 kys. of the cereal product were
loaded into a slant rotating stainless steel pan. Coconut oil
and/or partlally hydrogenated vegetable oil having a meltiny
point of 26 to 30 C was melted at 35 C to 4~ C, then sprayed
on the tumbliny cereal in portion quantities of 5~ to 15U grarns
at a time. Followiny that, 30~ grams to 7~0 grams of powedered
sugar and/or cocoa powder in a ratio of two to one (2:1), was
dusted onto the tumbling and coated cereal. The tumbliny
continued until the powder was relatively evenly coated on the
cereal; then, further spray steps of oil, followed by further
dusting/coating steps of powder, were repeated until 2.1 kgs. of
oil, ~.2 kgs. of powder suyar and 4.1 kgs. of cocoa powder were
applied. This produced 17 kgs. oE chocolate coated crunch cereal.
In one batch, after the melted oil was sprayed, either
the cocoa powder or the powder sugar was dusted or coated onto
the tumbliny cereal usiny a dispensing scoop. In another batch,
the cocoa powder and powder sugar were mixed, and then dusted
onto the cereal. No significant difference in the texture or
eating quality, or the physical properties, of the coated cereal
product was noted between the batches.
EXAMPLE 4
~ ~ In this case, 3.0 kys. of crispied rice were used in a
slant stainless steel rotating pan, and alternating sprays of oil
followed by dustlny or coating of the sugar and/or cocoa powder,
using 1.5 kgs. of cocoa oil, 7 kgs. of powder sugar and 3.5 kgs.
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~ of cocoa, yielded 14 kgs. of finished coated product. The crunch
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texture and the chocolate flavour, as well as the stability of
the coating on the procluct, were considered to be excellent.
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EXAM~L~ 5:
1 kg. of mini marshmallows were placed in a slant
stainless steel rotatiny pan. A repeated chocolate coatin~
procedure as described in Example 3 was used to apply 0.5 kgs.
of melted cocoa oil and/or hydroyenated vegetable oil, and 2.5
kgs. of a blend of cocoa/powder sugar/skim milk (in an
approximate ratio of 1~ ). The procedure resulted in 3.8 kgs.
of finished product having yood chocolate flavour and textureO
There has been described the composition of a specialty
ice cream confection, particularly with reference to the various
coated core products that may be prepared for later admixture
with ice cream. So as to result in the specialty ice cream
product, any of the coated products are finally admixed with ice
cream into suitable containers for subse~uent cold storage and
handliny.
The admixing can be simply accomplished by ex-truding ice
cream through a first nozzle and pumping the coated core product
through a varigator (a constant volume rotary pump) in such a way
that the coated core product is mixed into the ice cream
downstream from the first nozzle. If necessary, the ice cream can
have a specialty flavour, but usuaily it is vanilla ice cream
whlch~ may be produced using~a continuous~freezing process common
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; ~ to the ice cream industry. Also, if necessary, the ice cream can
- ~ be rippled by passing it through a standard ripple machine.
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In any event, after the ice cream/coated core product
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mix has been mixed, it is passed throuqh a screw pump for
delivery into suitable containers, after which it is refrozen and
-- har~ene~ and th~n stored and/or shipped. --
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The scope of the present invention is defined by theappended clai.ms.
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