Technical Field This invention relates to manufacture of cookies. More particularly this invention relates to manufacture of shaped cookies.

Background Art

There are two basic methods of making cookies: the drop method and the roll method. In both methods you make cookie dough. In the drop method you drop a desired quantity of dough onto a cookie sheet or into a cookie mold. This is commonly done with a spoon but may be done with a cookie press. In the roll method, the dough is rolled out with a rolling pin and cut with a cookie cutter. The cut shapes are separated from the sheet and placed onto a cookie sheet. Finally, in both methods, the sheet holding the raw cookies is placed in an oven and the dough is baked until it reaches the proper degree of texture and color. Machines are available commercially for automated baking of cookies by either method.

All cookies are baked flat. Although a few types are baked flat and shaped while they are still hot from the oven to form interesting shapes. Fortune cookies are rolled, sealed and formed over a lip while still hot. Tuile cookies are allowed to cool on a corrugated tray. Commercially, cookies are made on machines which usually include continuous conveyer belts propelled around rollers.

Development of an apparatus which can form cookies into interesting shapes while they are being baked represents a great improvement in the field of cookie baking and satisfies a long felt need of the cookie consuming public.

Disclosure of Invention This invention is an apparatus for baking shaped cookies and methods of making shaped cookies therewith. The apparatus comprises a sheet having a plurality of convex dimples throughout. The sheet may be fabricated by providing a sheet and forming a plurality of convex dimples in it. The dimples may be regularly spaced over the surface or randomly placed. Alternatively, the sheet may be fabricated by casting heat resistant plastic. The sheet may be a tray or a continuous loop for use in a baking machine. The circumferences of the dimples may be any shape such as circular, oval, elliptical and polygonal. The dimples may have one or more high points.

To make cookies with this apparatus one mixes cookie dough, deposits a quantity of dough on the surface and bakes the dough on the dimples to form shaped cookies. The dough may be rolled and cut prior to being deposited on the dimples. The dough may be randomly deposited on the surface or deposited directly on each dimple.

An appreciation of the other aims and objectives of the present invention and a more complete and comprehensive understanding of it may be achieved by referring to the accompanying drawings and studying the following description of the best mode of carrying out the invention.

Brief Description of Drawings

Figure 1 is a top view of a segment of dimpled baking surface in accordance with this invention having dimples regularly spaced across its surface. Figure 2 is a cross sectional view along the line 2-2 of Figure 1 .

Figure 3 is a cross section of a dimple having two high points.

Figure 4 is a cross section of an alternate embodiment of a segment of dimpled baking surface.

Figure 5 is a top view of a segment of dimpled baking surface in which the dimple is cylindrical.

Figure 6 is a cross section along the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a top view of a segment of dimpled baking surface in accordance with this invention having dimples randomly spaced across its surface.

Best Mode for Carrying Out Invention Figure 1 shows a top view of a segment of dimpled baking surface 10 in accordance with this invention. Figure 2 shows a cross sectional view along the line 2-2 of Figure 1 . The surface 10 has a plurality of convex dimples 14 throughout. The dimples 14 illustrated on Figures 1 and 2 have circular circumferences. However, their circumferences could be any convenient shape such as elliptical, oval, or polygonal. Dimples 14 could even be cylindrical in shape as shown on Figures 5 and 6. The dimples 14 shown on Figures 1 and 2 are regularly spaced across the surface. Alternatively, the dimples 14 could be randomly placed, as shown in Figure 7.

The dimples 14 illustrated on Figures 1 , 2 and 7 have a single high point 18, which, of course is at the center of the dimple 14. However, the dimples 14 could have multiple high points 18 which could be off center. An illustration of a dimple having two high points 22, 26 is show on Figure 3.

Dimpled baking surfaces 10 can be made by the well known technique of dimpling a metal sheet with a dimpling die. The maximum height H of the dimples 14 is limited only by the ductility of the metal. However, another method of making such surfaces 10 is by casting from a heat resistant, food grade plastic. A number of silicones are suitable for such use. Figure 4 shows a cross section of this alternate cast embodiment 30.

This invention 10, 30 can be provided as discrete sheet or trays. Alternatively, for baking machines which utilize continuous conveyor belts or loops, it can be provided as a continuous loop.

In use, a preferred quantity of dough is deposited on the surface 10. The dough may be previously rolled and die cut, and it may be placed on each dimple 14 or randomly over the surface 10. The cut dough may have any circumferential shape. The configuration shown in Figure 7 would facilitate random placement of the dough. Gravity and the initial heat of baking cause the dough to relax and follow the shape of the surface 10. A after the dough has baked and cooled it is removed from the surface 10 thus creating a cookie 34 with an interesting shape. For illustrative purposes, a few cookies are shown on Figures 2 and 7.

Several embodiments 10, 30 of this invention have been described. However, it should be obvious to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains that other modifications and enhancements can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims that follow.