Technical field of the invention

The present invention relates to a process for the production of edible receptacles for frozen confections, such as ice cream cones. In particular it relates to a process that provides edible receptacles which are made up of different coloured materials.

Background to the invention

Ice cream cone products, such as Cornetto™, are popular and well known. These products typically consist of a wafer cone filled with ice cream. These wafers are made from a batter which is largely composed of flour, sugar, fat and/or oil, and water. Once the ingredients have been mixed the batter is poured onto a baking plate, typically a metal surface heated to a temperature in excess of 200°C. During baking most of the water is driven off as steam. Due to the high sugar content of the wafers they are relatively plastic and flexible at the high temperature of the baking plate. Therefore, immediately after baking, the wafers can be formed into a receptacle by shaping the flexible wafer with a forming element such as a mandrel. The receptacle can then filled with a frozen confection on top of which sauces and pieces of biscuit, nut or fruit may be dispensed to provide an attractive appearance to the product.

However, edible receptacles, in particular cones, are a very well known product to consumers who are continually looking for new eating experiences. Conventional edible receptacles may be perceived as somewhat old fashioned and uninteresting. For example, the cones themselves have a plain and uniform appearance. Therefore there have been attempts to make cones that are decorated. For example, it is known to spray cones with one or more food dyes in order to produce single coloured or multi-coloured decorated cones. However adding a post-production spraying step is expensive, inconvenient and adds complexity to the manufacturing process, particularly where space on a factory production line is limited.

WO 2008 / 122486 discloses a multi-coloured baked cone which is made from a dough bi-layer. One layer consists of a sugarless batter which is deposited as continuous lines or waves onto a bottom baking plate. A conventional batter with sugar is then dosed directly on top of the sugarless dough to provide a backing layer to the product. The top baking plate is then closed on top of the batters to spread and bake them to form a wafer sheet which is then rolled to form a cone. When baked, the sugarless batter is a lighter colour than the conventional batter. The cone is rolled such that the sugarless first batter is on the outer surface to provide some contrasting colour to the final cone. However, upon consumption, the inner surface of the cone becomes visible to the consumer, especially when the edible receptacle has not been coated in any way, and it is then apparent to the consumer that such products are merely decorated on their surface and may not be considered to be a quality product. Furthermore, because the conventional batter is applied directly onto the top of the sugarless batter and then compressed between the baking plates the two different batters may not be clearly delineated and the interface between the two different batters is not well defined. There therefore remains a need for a process of producing a multi-coloured edible receptacle that overcomes these issues.

Brief description of the invention

We have found that a surprisingly simple process results in an edible receptacle that has two differently coloured regions which are very clearly delineated from each other. Furthermore these regions and their clear delineation are equally apparent when the wafer sheet is viewed from either the front or the back. Accordingly, in a first aspect, the invention provides a process for preparing an edible receptacle comprising the steps of: a) providing a first batter comprising flour, sugar, fat and/or oil and water;

b) providing a second batter comprising flour, sugar, fat and/or oil and water;

c) adding a colouring agent to one of the batters;

d) depositing, in separate locations, portions of the first and second batters onto a bottom baking plate;

e) placing a top baking plate on top of the deposited batters;

f) baking the batters together to form a unitary wafer sheet; and

g) forming the wafer sheet into an edible receptacle,

wherein the first and second batters spread and come into contact with one another in step d) and/or step e).

Preferably the colouring agent is cocoa powder.

Preferably a second colouring agent is added to the other batter. Preferably the ratio of the first batter to the second batter is from 0.25:1 to 1 :0.25. Preferably the receptacle is a cone with a circular cross-section. Alternatively the receptacle has a polygonal cross section such as a triangle, square, rectangle or hexagon. Preferably the receptacle has a wall thickness of from 0.5mm to 3mm.

Preferably the receptacle has a mass of from 5 to 20g, more preferably from 7 to 15g.

Preferably a single batter comprising flour, sugar, fat and/or oil and water is prepared which is then divided into two parts to provide the first and second batters.

In a second aspect, the present invention provides a composite frozen confection product which comprises an edible receptacle produced according to the first aspect of the invention and a frozen confection.

In a third aspect, the present invention provides a process for the production of a composite frozen confection of the second aspect, the process comprising the steps of dispensing a frozen confection into an edible receptacle produced according to the first aspect of the invention.

Drawings

The present invention will be further described by reference to the figures wherein:

Figure 1 shows the deposition of two batters on a bottom baking plate.

Figure 2 shows how the two batters interact if allowed to spread.

Figure 3 shows a cross section of figure 2.

Figure 4 shows a wafer sheet formed from the two batters.

Figure 5 shows a cross section of figure 4.

Figure 6 shows a cone formed from the wafer sheet of figure 4.

Figure 7 shows a photograph of a unitary wafer sheet formed according to the process of the invention.

Figure 8 shows a photograph of a cone product formed according to the process of the invention. Detailed description of the invention

All percentages, unless otherwise stated, refer to the percentage by weight, with the exception of percentages cited in relation to the overrun. Wafers are common components of many frozen confections and can be simply be inserted into a frozen confection as a surface decoration or can be formed into receptacles in which a frozen confection can be held. Wafers are typically crisp, sweet, thin, flat, dry biscuit confections containing flour, sugar, fat and/or oil and water. They are manufactured by mixing the ingredients to form a batter which is then poured onto a heated surface (referred to herein as a baking plate) on which they are cooked for a period of time during which most of the water is driven off and the batter cooks. A second baking plate can also be used to accelerate the baking process wherein the additional baking plate is lowered onto the upper surface of the batter. The resulting wafer sheet is thus baked, typically to a golden brown colour due to the sugar in the batter. The sugar also imparts flexibility to the wafer sheet because it remains in a plastic state at the high baking temperatures. The wafer sheet can therefore be formed into edible receptacles while still flexible. This can be achieved using approaches known to the skilled person, for example by moulding the wafer sheet over a forming element. The resulting receptacles can be in the form of dishes, cases, tubs, baskets, and so on. Cones are particularly preferred in the context of this invention.

In the present invention, edible receptacles that have two differently coloured regions which are very clearly delineated from each other are obtained by using differently coloured batters. The batters are positioned in a particular way on the baking plate under conditions that allow them to come into contact with each other in a controlled manner.

In the process of the invention a first and second batter are prepared using techniques known to the skilled person. Alternatively a single batter can be made that is then split to provide a first and second batter. To achieve different colours in the final wafer product a colouring agent is added to one of the batters. The colouring agent is preferably cocoa powder which imparts both colour and flavour but any suitable edible colouring agent may be employed. The colouring agent may colour the batter itself and / or may take on a particular colour when subjected to the high temperature of the baking plate. In another embodiment a further colouring agent may be added to the other batter to provide an even more unique product. As shown in figure 1 , once the batters have been prepared and the colouring agent or agents have been added, portions of the batters are placed onto a bottom baking plate 3. For typical single-serve edible receptacles the total amount of batter deposited is preferably at least 5g, more preferably at least 10g, more preferably still at least 20g and preferably at most 50g, more preferably at most 40g, most preferably at most 30g. The ratio of the first batter to the second batter is preferably from 0.25:1 to 1 :0.25, more preferably from 0. 5: 1 to 1 :0. 5, more preferably still from 0.9: 1 to 1 :0.9. In figure 1 the left portion 1 has been coloured, the right portion 2 has not. The portions can be placed onto the bottom baking plate 3 by any suitable means, for example by pouring or ladling directly onto the plate. In a preferred embodiment the batters are held in separate containers or tanks and are apportioned onto the bottom baking plate 3 by pumping via nozzles or tubes. The batters preferably have similar compositions - i.e. they are made from essentially the same ingredients (with the exception of the different colouring agents) and these ingredients are in approximately the same proportions. In addition, the batters are preferably prepared in the same way. This ensures that the rheologies of the batters are similar and that when they are apportioned onto the bottom baking plate 3 they spread out over the bottom baking plate 3 at the same rate, and also bake at the same rate when the come into contact with it. The bottom baking plate 3 is typically at a temperature of from 200 to 250°C.

As can be seen from figure 1 , the batters are placed onto the bottom baking plate 3 in separate locations, i.e. when they are dosed they are not in contact with one another. This critical element in the process ensures clear delineation between batters 1 and 2. The distance between the batters when dosed can be varied depending on the viscosity of the batters and the desired thickness of the final wafer product but it will be readily appreciated that they must be sufficiently close to each other to ensure that the two batters come into contact with each other during baking. The batters are preferably allowed to relax and spread out over the surface of the bottom baking plate 3 after they have been dosed. This may take place very quickly (less than 1 second in some cases) if the batter is of a low viscosity or longer if the batters are particularly viscous. As the batters relax they spread outward and towards each other, coming into contact with each other as shown in figure 2. As can be seen in figure 2, the interface between the two batters is very clearly delineated. As the batters come into contact with each other the edges of the batters abut and prevent further spreading outwards, creating the straight edge seen between the first batter 1 and second batter 2 in figure 2. Furthermore, the lateral forces of the spreading batters act against one another at the interface and a substantially vertical face is formed along the interface of the batters. This is shown schematically in figure 3 which is a cross section taken along line A-B of figure 2. It can therefore be seen that the relatively simple element of the process wherein the positioning of batters 1 and 2 proximal to, but separate from, each other allows the formation of a multi-coloured but clearly delineated wafer precursor on the baking plate 3.

The batters can be positioned in various different ways relative to one another dependent on where the different colours are required in the final product. For example, if the final product is a cone which, when held vertically, has one side which is coloured and one side which is not coloured then the positioning of the batters shown in figure 1 would be suitable. If, however, the final cone product requires a bottom half of one colour and a top half of another colour then the positions of the portions of the two batters on the bottom baking plate 3 can be changed accordingly.

In order to fully bake the wafer a top baking plate is lowered onto the top of batters 1 and 2. This top baking plate is at approximately the same temperature as the bottom baking plate 3 and serves to drive off the water from the batters and bake the wafer to form the final wafer sheet. Typically the baked wafer sheet will weigh about 25% to 50% less than the mass of the batter deposited. Dependent on the temperature of the baking plates this step takes from about 45 seconds to about 120 seconds. The pressure of the top baking plate on batters 1 and 2 also serves to spread them so that they come into contact with one another along the length of the interface which may already have been formed as described above. This spreading caused by the top baking plate causes the batters to form the final shape of the wafer sheet, typically a substantially ovoid form, as shown in figure 4. Figure 4 also shows that the interface between batters 1 and 2 remains straight and clearly delineated. Figure 5 shows a schematic of a cross section along line C-D of figure 4 in which the vertical interface shown in figure 3 has been retained but in which the surface of the batters has been flattened. The action of the top baking plate also serves to further bake the batters together to form a unitary wafer sheet which, when removed from bottom baking plate 3 will be two-sided, i.e. the different colours of the batters and the clear delineation between them will be discernable to the consumer irrespective of which side of the wafer sheet they are looking at. Any baking-plate apparatus is suitable for the process of the invention but particularly suitable is a conveyer-belt type baking plate apparatus in which the plates are moved relative to the means for dosing the batters and hence a continuous production process can be employed.

Following baking, the wafer sheet is at a high temperature and the sugar in the wafer remains sufficiently plastic to allow the wafer sheet to be shaped into an edible receptacle. This shaping can be achieved by forming the flexible wafer sheet around a mandrel or a similar forming element. In a preferred embodiment the edible receptacle is a cone which can be formed by passing the flexible wafer into a cone rolling apparatus consisting of a rotating conical mandrel within a conical sleeve. The space between the mandrel and sleeve determines the thickness of the wafer in the final product and the pressure applied forms the wafer sheet into the cone form and acts to seal the adjoining surfaces of the cone together. Figure 6 shows such a final cone product in which the wafer sheet of figure 4 was fed into such a cone roller, the end comprising the coloured batter 1 was fed in first and the and the remaining wafer sheet wrapped around it to form a bi-coloured cone product with a clear vertical delineation between the two batters that is visible from both the outer and inner surfaces of the cone. To prevent the edible receptacle from becoming soggy by absorbing water from a frozen confection dispensed into it, the inside of the edible receptacle may optionally be coated, usually by spraying with a fat-based coating, such as chocolate or couverture, to form a moisture barrier. Finally, the edible receptacle can be filled with a frozen confection. As used herein, frozen confection means an edible confection made by freezing a mix of ingredients which includes water. Frozen confections typically contain fat, non-fat milk solids and sugars, together with other minor ingredients such as stabilisers, emulsifiers, colours and flavourings. Preferred frozen confections are those that are typically provided in edible receptacles and include ice cream, frozen yoghurt, sorbet, sherbet, and the like. These frozen confections can be prepared using known techniques. Frozen confections are typically aerated. The term aeration means that gas has been incorporated into a product to form air cells. The gas can be any gas but is preferably, particularly in the context of food products, a food-grade gas such as air, nitrogen or carbon dioxide. The extent of the aeration can be measured in terms of the volume of the aerated product. The extent of aeration is typically defined in terms of "overrun". In the context of the present invention, % overrun is defined in volume terms as:

( volume of final aerated product - volume of unaerated mix )

Overrun (%) = x 100

volume of unaerated mix The amount of overrun present in the frozen confection will vary depending on the desired product characteristics and is preferably at least 25%, more preferably at least 50%, more preferably still at least 75% and preferably at most 200%, more preferably at most 150%. The present invention will now be further described with reference to the following non- limiting example.

Example

Table 1 - Batter formulations

Coloured and non-coloured batters were prepared according to the formulations of table 1 . The water was heated to 32-33°C into which the salt was dissolved. The sugar, potato starch and cocoa powder (when present) were added, followed by the wheat flour. The mixture was gently stirred for 2min and then a mixture of the melted oil and lecithin were stirred in for a further 60 sec. The viscosity of the batters was assessed by measuring the time taken to pour 30ml of each batter into a measuring cylinder under identical conditions. The time taken was found to be the same and hence the viscosities were similar.

6g of the coloured batter and 14g of the plain batter were deposited onto a bottom baking plate which was at a temperature of 235°C. The batters were briefly (1.5 seconds) allowed to spread and come into contact with one along an interface where the two batters abutted. A top baking plate at a temperature of 245°C was then lowered onto the batters and left in place for 60 seconds to bake the batters into a unitary wafer sheet. An example of a unitary wafer sheet produced in this way is shown in figure 7 in which the clear delineation between the two batters is readily apparent.

The top baking plate was lifted, the bottom baking plate was moved into a position under to a suction cup on a swinging arm which removed the wafer sheet from the bottom baking plate and transferred it to a cone forming apparatus. The resulting cone is shown in figure 8.

As can be seen from figure 7 the resulting wafer sheet has two differently coloured regions which are very clearly delineated from each other. Furthermore these regions and their clear delineation are equally apparent when the wafer sheet is viewed from either the front of the back. The wafer sheet was readily formed into the cone shown in figure 8 in which the differently coloured regions remain very clearly delineated and are visible from both the internal and external surfaces of the cone.