Continuous production of shelf-stable multi-textured shredded cereal biscuits having a paste filling

Claim 2

A ready-to-eat paste-filled shredded cereal biscuit having a shelf stable plurality of textures comprising: (a) a filling (b) a plurality of shredded cereal layers providing a region of dense texture enrobing said filling, (c) a plurality of shredded cereal layers providing a region of light texture enrobing said region of dense texture, each of the layers having a plurality of generally parallel longitudinal strands and a plurality of crosshatchings generally perpendicular to said strands, said crosshatchings and said longitudinal strands forming an integral net-like sheet, the number of crosshatchings of the integral net-like sheets which provide the region of dense texture being greater than the number of crosshatchings of the net-like sheets which provide the region of light texture, substantial penetration of the filling through the net-like sheets being prevented by the crosshatchings of the net-like sheets of the region of dense texture.

Claim 3

A cereal biscuit as claimed in claim 1 wherein a sugar is deposited between said filling and said layers providing the region of dense texture to inhibit moisture migration from the filling to the layers.

Claim 4

A cereal biscuit as claimed in claim 2 wherein a plurality of shredded cereal layers providing a second region of dense texture enrobes said layers providing the region of light texture.

Claim 5

A cereal biscuit as claimed in claim 2 wherein the water activity of the filled biscuit is less than about 0.6, and the average moisture content of the filled biscuit is from about 6 percent by weight to about 12 percent by weight.

Claim 6

A cereal biscuit as claimed in claim 3 wherein the amount of filling is at least about 15 percent by weight based upon the total weight of the filled shredded biscuit.

Claim 7

A cereal biscuit as claimed in claim 5 wherein the amount of said deposited sugar is from about 4 percent by weight to about 10% by weight, based upon the total weight of the filled shredded biscuit.

Claim 8

A cereal biscuit as claimed in claim 6 wherein said deposited sugar is granulated brown sugar.

Claim 9

A cereal biscuit as claimed in claim 6 wherein the filling is a dehydrated fruit paste filling.

Claim 10

A cereal biscuit as claimed in claim 8 wherein the filling is a raisin paste filling comprising ground raisins and glycerin.

Claim 11

A cereal biscuit as claimed in claim 8 wherein the filling is an apple filling.

Claim 12

A cereal biscuit as claimed in claim 8 wherein the filling is a strawberry filling.

Claim 13

A cereal biscuit as claimed in claim 5 wherein the number of crosshatchings in each of the layers forming the region of light texture is less than about 50 percent of the number of crosshatchings of each of said layers forming the region of dense texture, and at least 30 percent of the total number of layers provide a light texture.

Claim 14

A cereal biscuit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the filling is a meat filling or cheese filling.

Claim 15

A ready-to-eat paste-filled shredded cereal biscuit having a shelf stable plurality of textures comprising: (a) a fruit-paste filling comprising dehydrated fruit and glycerin, (b) a plurality of shredded cereal layers providing a region of dense texture enrobing said filling. (c) a layer of a sugar deposited between at least a portion of said filling and said layers providing the region of dense texture to inhibit moisture migration from said filling to said layers, (d) a plurality of shredded cereal layers providing a region of light texture enrobing said region of dense texture, and (e) a plurality of shredded cereal layers providing a second region of dense texture enrobing said layers providing the region of light texture.

Claim 16

A ready-to-eat paste-filled shredded cereal biscuit having a shelf stable plurality of textures comprising: (a) a fruit-paste filling comprising dehydrated fruit and glycerin, (b) a plurality of shredded cereal layers providing a region of dense texture enrobing said filling. (c) a layer of a sugar deposited between at least a portion of said filling and said layers providing the region of dense texture to inhibit moisture migration from said filling to said layers, (d) a plurality of shredded cereal layers providing a region of light texture enrobing said region of dense texture, and (e) a plurality of shredded cereal layers providing a second region of dense texture enrobing said layers providing the region of light texture.

Claim 17

A shelf-stable paste-filled ready-to-eat shredded cereal biscuit produced by a continuous process comprising the steps of: (a) continuously laminating a first plurality of shredded cereal dough layers, each of the layers having a plurality of generally parallel longitudinal strands and a plurality of crosshatchings generally perpendicular to said strands, said crosshatchings and said longitudinal strands forming an integral net-like sheet, (b) continuously depositing at least one extrudate rope filling upon said first plurality of shredded layers, each extrudate rope being deposited generally parallel to said longitudinal strands, (c) continuously laminating a second plurality of shredded cereal dough layers upon said at least one extrudate rope to obtain a filled laminate, the number of crosshatchings of the integral net-like sheets adjacent to the at least one extrudate rope filling being greater than the number of crosshatchings on the next net-like sheet further removed from the filling, the crosshatchings of the net-like sheets preventing substantial penetration of the filling through said adjacent net-like sheets, said further removed net-like sheets providing a region of light texture and said adjacent net-like sheets providing regions of dense texture in the filled biscuit, (d) cutting the filled laminate, and (e) baking the cut filled laminate.

Claim 18

A shelf-stable paste-filled ready-to-eat shredded cereal biscuit produced by a continuous process comprising the steps of: (a) continuously laminating a first plurality of shredded cereal dough layers, each of the layers having a plurality of generally parallel longitudinal strands and a plurality of crosshatchings generally perpendicular to said strands, said crosshatchings and said longitudinal strands forming an integral net-like sheet, (b) continuously depositing at least one extrudate rope filling upon said first plurality of shredded layers, each extrudate rope being deposited generally parallel to said longitudinal strands, (c) continuously laminating a second plurality of shredded cereal dough layers upon said at least one extrudate rope to obtain a filled laminate, the number of crosshatchings of the integral net-like sheets adjacent to the at least one extrudate rope filling being greater than the number of crosshatchings on the next net-like sheet further removed from the filling, the crosshatchings of the net-like sheets preventing substantial penetration of the filling through said adjacent net-like sheets, said further removed net-like sheets providing a region of light texture and said adjacent net-like sheets providing regions of dense texture in the filled biscuit, (d) cutting the filled laminate, and (e) baking the cut filled laminate.

Claim 19

A shredded cereal biscuit in accordance with claim 15 wherein a sugar is continuously deposited substantially uniformly across said first plurality of shredded cereal dough layers prior to deposition of said at least one extrudate rope filling to inhibit moisture migration from the baked filling to the baked net-like sheets.

Claim 20

A shredded cereal biscuit in accordance with claim 15 wherein a sugar is continuously deposited substantially uniformly across said at least one extrudate rope filling prior to the lamination of said second plurality of shredded cereal dough layers to inhibit moisture migration from the baked filling to the baked net-like sheets.

Claim 21

A shredded cereal biscuit in accordance with claim 16 wherein the crosshatchings of the adjacent net-like sheets prevent substantial passage of said sugar through said adjacent net-like sheets.

Claim 22

A shredded cereal biscuit in accordance with claim 15 wherein the cutting of the filled laminate is first generally transverse to said longitudinal strands and then generally parallel to said longitudinal strands, the parallel cuts being made between adjacent extrudate filling ropes.

Claim 23

A shredded cereal biscuit in accordance with claim 15 wherein said filling is a fruit paste filling, a meat filling or a cheese filling.

Claim 24

A shredded cereal biscuit in accordance with claim 14 wherein said filling is a fruit paste filling comprising dehydrated fruit and glycerin, said filling having a water content of at least about twelve percent by weight of said extrudate rope, and wherein the water activity of said biscuit is less than about 0.6.

Claim 25

A shredded cereal biscuit in accordance with claim 21 wherein the amount of filling in said biscuit is at least about fifteen percent by weight based upon the weight of the final product.

Claim 26

A shredded cereal biscuit in accordance with claim 21 wherein said dehydrated fruit comprises ground raisins.

Claim 27

A shredded cereal biscuit in accordance with claim 16 wherein said sugar is deposited in an amount to provide from about four percent to about ten percent by weight of sugar, based upon the total weight of the filled biscuit.