Process for making low calorie fat-containing frozen dessert products having smooth, creamy, nongritty mouthfeel

A process for preparing a low calorie frozen dessert, which comprises the steps of:

• (A) forming a mixture consisting essentially of:
• (1) from about 30 to about 50% fat comprising from about 70 to 100% of edible, wholly or partially nondigestible intermediate melting polyol fatty acid polyesters having at least 4 fatty acid ester groups, wherein the polyol contains at least 4 hydroxy groups and wherein each fatty acid group has from 2 to 24 carbon atoms, the polyol polyesters further having:
• (a) a viscosity of from about 2.5 to about 200 poise at 100.degree. F. (34.8.degree. C.) and at a shear rate of 10 seconds.sup.-1 ;
• and
• (b) a liquid/solid stability of at least about 30% at 100.degree. F. (37.8.degree. C.);
• (2) from about 10 to about 30% milk solids other than fat;
• (3) from 0 to about 10% of a sweetener;
• (4) from 0 to about 3% of a stabilizer;
• (5) an effective amount of an oil-in-water emulsifier;
• (6) from about 25 to about 45% water;
• (B) passing the mixture of step (A) through a homogenizer such that a stable oil-in-water preemulsion is formed wherein the fat is substantially homogeneously dispersed in the aqueous phase as emulsified fat droplets;
• (C) forming a second mixture comprising:
• (1) from about 10 to about 30% of the preemulsion of step (B),
• (2) from 0 to about 15% added triglyceride fat;
• (3) from about 2 to about 14% added milk solids other than fat,
• (4) from 0 to about 20% added sweetener,
• (5) from about 36.5 to about 73.5% added water,
• (6) the combined amount of components (1) and (2) being sufficient to provide from about 2 to about 20% total fat,
• (7) the combined amount of components (1) and (3) being sufficient to provide from about 3 to about 15% total milk solids other than fat,
• (8) the combined amount of components (1) and (4) being sufficient to provide an effective amount of sweetener, and
• (9) the combined amount of components (1) and (5) being sufficient to provide from about 50 to about 75% total water;
• (D) passing the second mixture of step (C) through a homogenizer and pasteurizer such that a homogenized pasteurized mixture is obtained wherein the fat is substantially homogeneously dispersed in the aqueous phase as emulsified fat droplets having an average droplet size of from about 5 microns or less;
• and
• (E) at least partially freezing the homogenized pasteurized mixture of step (D) to provide the frozen dessert product.