PROCESS FOR PREPARING CHOCOLATE CRUMB
The present invention relates to a process for chocolate crumb manufacture and to chocolate crumb and confectionery products made using the process. The process comprises: a) providing a milk and sugar mixture or mixing together milk and sugar so as to form a mixture; b) heating the mixture to a temperature in the range of 55-110° C. under a lowered pressure in the range of 18-25 kPa so as to effect evaporation of liquid from the mixture; c) adding cocoa mass/liquor to the mixture during and/or after step (a) and/or step (b); d) subjecting the mixture to conditions effective to bring about sugar crystallisation in the mixture; and e) drying the mixture so as to form chocolate crumb. Evaporation takes place at a reduced temperature and pressure so as to produce a sweetened condensed milk. In one embodiment the milk and sugar mix is evaporated to between 85-88% solids by heating the mixture to between about 85° C. to 95° C. under a lowered pressure of approximately 24 kPa for 30 minutes.
1 . A process for preparing chocolate crumb comprising:
a) providing a milk and sugar mixture or mixing together milk and sugar so as to form a mixture;
b) heating the mixture to a temperature in the range of 55-110° C. under a lowered pressure in the range of 18-25 kPa so as to effect evaporation of liquid from the mixture;
c) adding cocoa mass/liquor to the mixture during and/or after step (a) and/or step (b);
d) subjecting the mixture to conditions effective to bring about sugar crystallisation in the mixture; and
e) drying the mixture so as to form chocolate crumb.
2 . A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein step (b) comprises heating the mixture to a temperature in the range of 55-110° C. under a lowered pressure in the range of 20-25 kPa.
3 . A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein step (b) comprises heating the mixture to a temperature of approximately 100° C. under a lowered pressure of approximately 24 kPa.
4 . A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the milk is powdered milk.
5 . A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein step (a) further comprises the addition of water.
6 . A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the milk comprises liquid milk.
7 . A process as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the liquid milk comprises concentrated liquid milk.
8 . A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the process further comprises adding milk solids prior to undertaking step (d).
9 . A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein step (d) comprises subjecting the mixture to a similar temperature and pressure to step (b).
10 . A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the conditions effective to bring about sugar crystallisation in step (d) are different from the temperature and/or the pressure of step (b).
11 . A process as claimed in claim 10 , wherein step (d) comprises subjecting the mixture to higher temperature and pressure than step (b).
12 . A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the process further comprises the step of adding a fat to the mixture before or during step (e).
13 . A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least steps (a) to (d) are undertaken in a single reaction vessel.
14 . A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of steps (a) to (d) are undertaken in different reaction vessels.
15 . A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the process further comprises the step of:
f) forming the chocolate crumb into briquettes.
16 . (canceled)
17 . A chocolate crumb formed using the process as claimed in claim 1 .
18 . A confectionery product formed using a chocolate crumb as claimed in claim 17 .