A microwave oat cereal, a method of its manufacture, and a method of its consumer-preparation is disclosed. A single serving of the product of this invention can be fully cooked in a microwave oven in a single serving bowl without foam-over. The cereal comprises a mixture of an oat cereal pieces, such as oat flakes, or oat bran, and a small amount of lecithin, preferably in the form of a powder and preferably in the form of discrete solid encapsulated lecithin. The lecithin is present in an amount effective to prevent foaming out of a single serving bowl when a single serving of the mixture is cooked with water in a microwave oven. Also, the lecithin may be affixed to the surface of the oat cereal such as by spraying, or by allowing encapsulated lecithin to contact the cereal while the cereal is at temperatures above the melting point of the encapsulated lecithin. Lecithin is preferably encapsulated in a triglyceride which is solid at room temperature, and liquid at microwave oat-cooking temperatures. The mixture of oats and the lecithin powder is particularly suitable for individual serving packaging, and the mixtures in which the lecithin is bonded to the surface of the oat cereal are particularly well suited for bulk packaging, but can be used in individual serving packaging, as well.
A shelf stable ready-to-bake batter article for baked goods comprises an unpressurized gas impermeable container, low water activity, batter with a leavening system disposed within the container and partially filling the container and an inert low oxygen gas in the headspace not filled by the batter. The ratio of sugar to flour in the batter ranges from about 0.5:1 to 2.5:1. The batter has a water activity of less than 0.85.
A shelf stable ready-to-bake batter article for brownies comprises an unpressurized gas impermeable container, low water activity high ratio brownie batter disposed within and partially filling the container and an unpressurized, inert low oxygen gas in the headspace. The ratio of sugar to flour in the batter ranges from about 1.5:1 to 3.5:1. The batter has a water activity of less than 0.85.
A shelf stable ready-to-bake batter article for baked goods comprises an unpressurized gas impermeable container, a high pH, low water activity, batter that is substantially free (less than 0.1%) of conventional CO.sub.2 gas producing leavening agents disposed within the container and partially filling the container and an inert low oxygen gas in the headspace not filled by the batter. The ratio of sugar to flour in the batter ranges from about 0.5:1 to 3.5:1. The batter has a water activity of less than 0.85.
The present invention includes a batter or dough that comprises a plurality of capsules and a cookable fluid in which the capsules are dispersed. Each of the capsules is comprised of a shell made of a lipid that melts at a predictable, narrow temperature range and a core comprised of a leavening agent. The leavening agent is either a chemical leavening agent or a yeast-based leavening agent or a combination of a chemical leavening agent and yeast-based leavening agent. The batter or dough is preserved in a flowable condition by using a combination of acidic pH, control of water activity, and refrigerated storage temperature against microbial spoilage further assured by using preservatives such as potassium sorbate or calcium propionate.
