Equipment supplier Baker Perkins has developed a system that it says brings cookie dough and filling together in one machine for the first time.
The machine, which is awaiting patent approval, makes cookies by enclosing the dough on a module attached to a standard wire-cut machine – manufacturers previously needed a separate unit to do this. The cookies can have any filling low enough in viscosity, including chocolate, caramel, cream, peanut butter and jam.
Keith Graham, marketing manager at Baker Perkins, said it had taken 15 months to develop the machine. Standard and encapsulated cookies can be made on the same machine with minimal changeover time, and the system also works on existing models: “There is a growing market for filled cookies and this is part of a developing niche for more luxury and indulgence in this category.”
The machine works by pumping a stream of filling into the centre of the dough cylinder at the wire-cut die. A set of iris-die cutters then crimps the dough and filling, forcing the dough to enclose the filling.
Once the encapsulated cookies are on the conveyor they pass under a tamping or gauging roll to flatten them. This removes any machine marks caused by the iris die and ensures a consistent thickness before packaging.
Installation can take a couple of days on a new machine and longer on older models.
Last month Baker Perkins introduced a new servo-driven version of its TruClean wirecut machine, which forms cookies and bars from soft dough.
No comments yet