Shelf stable cookie product containing heat and shear sensitive additives and method of making

A method for the production of a shelf stable, leavenable cookie composition comprising:

• (a) admixing ingredients comprising flour and shortening or fat in a cooker extruder,
• (b) heating said ingredients in the extruder to a temperature of at least 150.degree. F. to promote browning and to form a heat treated mass,
• (c) transferring the heat treated mass to a post extrusion mixing means and reducing the temperature of said heat treated mass,
• (d) admixing water with the heat treated mass at a heat treated mass temperature of about 100.degree. F. to about 300.degree. F. to obtain a substantially homogeneous unleavened cookie composition, and
• (e) discharging the composition from the mixing means, wherein the cookie composition has a water activity of less than about 0.7 and is leavenable to form a crumb-like structure by heating.

A shelf stable, cookie dough-like composition comprising:

• (a) 30% to 70% flour,
• (b) 12% to 40% fat or shortening,
• (c) 10% to 40% sugar solids,
• (d) up to about 5% chemical leavening agent,
• wherein said percentages are based on the total weight of the composition, said composition being substantially unleavened and having a water activity of less than about 0.7 and a water content of less than about 20% by weight, and being leavenable to a cookie product having a crumb-like structure by the application of heat, wherein at least said flour and fat or shortening are heat treated by heating in a cooker extruder to a temperature of at least 200.degree. F. to promote browning and flavor development and wherein said composition has a substantially uniform consistency.

A shelf stable, cookie dough-like composition comprising:

• (a) 30% to 70% flour,
• (b) 12% to 40% fat or shortening,
• (c) 10% to 40% sugar,
• (d) at least one pH-adjusting agent,
• wherein said percentages are based on the total weight of the composition, said composition being substantially unleavened and having a water activity of less than about 0.7 and a water content of less than about 20% by weight, and being leavenable to a cookie product having a crumb-like structure by the addition of heat, wherein at least said flour and fat are heat treated by heating in a cooker extruder to a temperature of at least 200.degree. F. to promote browning and flavor development and wherein said composition has substantially uniform consistency and a pH of about pH 5 to about pH 9.5.

A shelf stable cookie dough-like composition which is leavenable to a cookie crumb-like structure by baking after an extended storage time, said leavenable cookie dough-like composition comprising:

• (a) 30% to 70% flour,
• (b) 12% to 40% fat or shortening,
• (c) 10% to 40% sugar solids, and
• (d) up to about 5% chemical leavening agent,
• said percentages being based on the total weight of the leavenable dough-like composition, said leavenable cookie dough-like composition being substantially unleavened and having a pH of about 5 to 9.5, a water activity of less than about 0.7, a water content of less than about 20% by weight of the composition, and significant amounts of Maillard reaction precursors produced by heating ingredients comprising flour and shortening or fat to a temperature of at least 150.degree. F., wherein heating of said leavenable cookie dough-like composition causes it to rise and spread to produce a cookie crumb-like structure.