CONCENTRATED DESSERT CUBE, METHODS OF MANUFACTURE, AND PACKAGING THEREFOR

Abstract: A dessert cube (10) is provided comprising a concentrated food composition containing a plurality of dessert ingredients, presented to the retail consumer in the form of a cube, tablet, or other suitable compact and substantially rigid form. The food composition typically comprises sugar, of either coarse or fine varieties, flavorings, food coloring, a small amount of water and possibly gelatin, admixed together to produce a free-flowing granular mix. The free-flowing granular mix is subsequently compressed in a press to form the substantially solid block (12) or cube (10). The solid block or cube is adapted to be mixed with and dispersed or dissolved in milk or water by the consumer at the time of preparation, and mixed with a quantity of sugar. The resulting solution is then subjected to a predetermined cooking process (such as heating and then cooling) to thereby produce a dessert-like food product, e.g., a gelatin, custard or flan.

Description: CONCENTRATED DESSERT CUBE, METHODS OF MANUFACTURE, AND PACKAGING THEREFOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A. Field of the Invention This invention relates to the food arts, and more particularly to a novel concentrated food composition containing dessert ingredients in the form of a cube, tablet, or other rigid form, that is manufactured and sold as such and used by the consumer for making a dessert-like food product. The concentrated food composition, referred to herein as a "dessert cube," is mixed with a liquid such as water or milk and a specified amount of other ingredients, typically sugar, subsequently cooked or heated in accordance with a specified process, and thereafter cooled in a mold, producing a dessert-like food product. The invention also relates to a process for manufacturing a dessert cube of the type described herein in a form that has good stability prior to use, e.g., resistance to crumbling during shipment and during handling, but which will dissolve or disperse in a liquid in a relatively short amount of time, e.g., less than five minutes, when the consumer prepares the dessert-like food product. In another aspect, the present invention relates to an arrangement for packaging one or more of the dessert cubes in a convenient fashion for the user. B. Description of Related Art It is known in the food arts to provide to the retail consumer a pre-mixed dry or powdered dessert formulation containing all or substantially all the essential dry ingredients, including the required amount of sugar, for making a batch of a dessert food product. This approach, referred to herein simply as the "complete mix" approach, has obvious benefits for the retail consumer, in that the task of acquiring and measuring out all the ingredients to make the dessert is avoided. For example, mixes for making flan, a custard-like dessert popular in Latin America, have been sold to the retail consumer. The consumer adds a liquid such as milk to the mix and follows the cooking directions on the package. A similar approach has been used for making gelatin desserts, whereby the consumer merely provides a predetermined quantity of water and follows a few simple directions. Despite the apparent convenience to the retail consumer, there are several drawbacks to the "complete mix" method that have been appreciated by the present inventors. First of all, this approach is relatively costly for the consumer. Since one of the principal ingredients in the mix is almost always sugar, the consumer pays the manufacturer's full margin on the sugar that is present in the formulation. The consumer would experience a substantial cost saving if they could purchase all the ingredients already mixed, except for the sugar, and supply their own sugar. Furthermore, the inclusion of a substantial amount of sugar in the mix or formulation increases the weight and bulk of the product, thereby increasing the cost of the packaging for the product and the cost to ship the product to the site of the retail sale. Additionally, the "complete mix" approach can be rather difficult for the consumer to work with if they want to prepare some lesser amount of the resulting dessert, instead of the quantity that would result if the entire contents of the complete mix are used. The present invention represents a significant departure from the standard "complete mix" approach and addresses each of the above drawbacks. The dessert cube format, as described herein, provides a convenient and effective means to supply all of the dry or powdered ingredients for the dessert except for the sugar. The format allows the retail consumer to supply essentially all of the sugar for the dessert product (some sugar may be part of the dessert cube itself). The consumer thus experiences cost savings for making the dessert. For a similar shelf price, the consumer gets twice as much product as they would get with a competitive product that has the sugar in the mix. Further, the dessert cube formulation delivers a similar product yield to the consumer as found in a complete mix, but due to the small size of the concentrated dessert cube it can be packaged in a much smaller package, thereby resulting in a cost savings in terms of packaging costs and transportation costs. Additionally, using the concentrated dessert cubes is a new and convenient way to make the dessert foods, such as flans and gelatins. When the consumer buys a package containing several of the dessert cubes, they can use one dessert cube to make one batch and store the remainder until later. The size of the dessert cubes could be reduced so that more than one dessert cube is used to make the typical size batch (e.g., 1/2 liter of gelatin), giving the consumer the option to make only half a batch or a third of a batch and avoid any weighing out of a mix, as would be required using the "complete mix" approach. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In a first aspect of the invention, a dessert cube is provided comprising a concentrated food composition containing dessert ingredients in the form of a solid block or mass, such as a cube, tablet, or other suitable compact and substantially rigid form. The food composition will typically comprise sugar, of either coarse or fine varieties (or perhaps both), flavorings, food coloring, and a small amount of water admixed together to produce a free-flowing granular mix. The free-flowing granular mix is subsequently compressed in a press to form the substantially solid block or cube. The solid block or cube is adapted to be mixed with and preferably dissolved or dispersed in milk or water by the consumer at the time of preparation and mixed with an additional quantity of sugar. The product is then subjected to a predetermined process, such as cooking and then cooling in a mold. For example, the heating can be by boiling or simmering the resulting dessert cube/water/sugar or dessert cube/milk/sugar solution. After the heating step is completed, the liquid solution can be poured in a mold and subsequently cooled to thereby produce a dessert-like food product, such as a gelatin, flan or custard. Alternatively, the dessert food product may be in liquid form, such as a gelatin drink in which the gelatin does not set. Two representative examples or varieties of dessert cubes are described herein for purposes of example and not limitation. One variety is a gelatin dessert cube for making a gelatin dessert food product. Another variety is a flan dessert cube for making a flan-like dessert food product. In the gelatin dessert cube embodiment, the food composition that comprises the dessert cube includes a predetermined quantity of gelatin, flavoring and coloring. In this embodiment the dessert cube is adapted to be dispersed or, more preferably, dissolved in heated water, mixed with a quantity of sugar, and then cooled in a mold. In a preferred embodiment the gelatin comprises between about 25 percent and 75 percent by weight of the total mass of food composition forming the dessert cube, and more preferably between about 54 and about 65 per cent by weight of the total mass of the food composition. Dessert cubes which have gelatin in an amount below 50 percent will generally be more suitable either for gelatin drink products, or for use in an embodiment in which more than one dessert cube is used to make a standard amount of a gelatin food product (e.g., liter) in which the gelatin is refrigerated and set in a mold. In the flan dessert cube embodiment, the food composition comprises sugar, carageenan and corn starch, in addition to flavorings, colorings and polyglycerol esters, and the dessert cube is adapted to be dissolved in and mixed with milk and an additional quantity of sugar. Typical ranges for the flan dessert cube, in terms of the total mass of the food composition, are as follows: sugar: 60-80%, carageenan: 14-22%, corn starch 3.5- 7%; polyglycerol esters: 0.5-1.5%, water: 0.7-1.3%. In another aspect of the invention, a process for manufacturing a concentrated dessert cube for use in making a dessert-like food product is provided. In a typical embodiment of the invention, the substances making up the dessert cube are either very low in or totally devoid of fat. Hence, particular problems are encountered in making a cube of sufficient stability and resistance to crumbling during handling but which will disperse, or more preferably, dissolve in water or milk within an acceptable period of time at the time of preparation of the dessert food product. In this aspect of the invention, the manufacturing method comprises the steps of mixing together a food composition making up the dessert cube, including sugar, flavoring, food coloring, and water (perhaps with other ingredients) to produce a free-flowing granular mix. Next, a predetermined quantity of the free-flowing granular mix is placed in a press. The press is operated so as to compress the predetermined quantity of the granular mix with a compression force sufficient to form a compact, substantially solid block or tablet of the food composition, such that the compact solid block or tablet will (1) disperse or dissolve in a liquid such as milk or water within a predetermined suitable amount of time when the dessert-like food product is to be prepared, and (2) have the desired stability. It has been found experimentally that, for the representative embodiments, a compressive force of between about 2000 and 2700 pounds per square inch produces a concentrated dessert cube having the desired stability and dissolvability properties, but departure from this range may be required depending on the formulation in question. In another aspect of the invention, an easy to use, packaged dessert cube food product adapted for purchase, preparation and consumption by a retail consumer is provided. The packaged dessert cube food product comprises, in combination, a package comprising a panel and a clear plastic member allowing the consumer to view the interior of the package. The clear plastic member and the panel define an enclosure for a product placed therein. The enclosure contains at least one dessert cube formulated to be dissolved in a liquid, mixed with at least one other ingredient (normally just sugar) and subsequently subject to a specified process to prepare a dessert-like food product, such as of the type described herein. In an alternative embodiment, several, e.g., 2 or 4 of such dessert cubes are placed in the enclosure. In a preferred embodiment, each of the dessert cubes is encased within or over-wrapped by an envelope comprising an openable, e.g., tearable, material such as aluminum foil or plastic or paper film. The retail consumer opens the package and removes the tearable material from the dessert cube and subsequently prepares the dessert-like food product in accordance with a specified process printed on the package. Any remaining dessert cubes in the package remain unopened in their respective envelope or wrapping. Typically, in the preferred embodiment, one dessert cube would be used by the consumer for preparation of a batch of the dessert-like food product, such as 1 liter of the flan product or l Λ liter of the gelatin product. These and still other features of the invention will be described more particularly in the following detailed description of presently preferred, representative embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the following description, reference will be made to the appended drawings, wherein like reference numbers refer to like elements in the various views, and in which: Figure 1 is an illustration of a dessert cube in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is an illustration of an alternative form factor for the dessert cube of Figure 1, it being apparent from Figures 1 and 2 that many different form factors for a dessert cube are possible; Figure 3 is a flow chart of a process of manufacturing the dessert cub of a gelatin variety in accordance with a presently preferred manufacturing method; Figure 4 is a flow chart of a process of manufacturing a dessert cube of a flan variety in accordance with a presently preferred manufacturing method; Figures 5A -5C are several views of a presently preferred packaging arrangement for packaging the dessert cube of Figures 1 or 2 for sale to a retail consumer; and Figure 6 is a schematic illustration of a rotary tablet press than can be adapted to manufacture dessert cubes. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a dessert cube 10 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in a perspective view. The dessert cube 10 comprises a substantially solid block 12 consisting of a food composition containing concentrated dessert ingredients such as sugar, flavorings, colorings, acidulants, a small amount of water, and possibly gelatin, or carageenan, corn starch and polyglycerol esters. The ingredients making up the block 12 are admixed together during a manufacturing process to produce a free-flowing granular mix, with the granular mix based around the sugar or gelatin particles 14. The free-flowing granular mix is subsequently compressed in a press at a predetermined pressure or compression force to form the substantially solid block 12. As indicated by a comparison of Figures 1 and 2, the particular shape of the dessert cube 10 is not particularly important. A tablet press or other similar type of device may be used to make the dessert cube. Various types of form factors, such as a tablet, may be chosen for the dessert cube 10. Referring to Figure 1, the cube may weigh between 10 and 15 grams and have a dimension of between 15 and 30 mm per side, such as 20 mm x 30 mm x 20 mm in an illustrative embodiment. The dessert cube 10 is adapted or formulated such that the dessert cube is mixed with a liquid such as milk or water, preferably dispersed or dissolved in the liquid, and the resulting mixture mixed with a quantity of sugar by the consumer at the time of preparation of the dessert. The resulting solution comprising the dessert cube 10, liquid, and an additional quantity of sugar is processed in a predetermined cooking or other process to thereby produce a dessert-like food product. Several representative cooking processes for using the dessert cube to make a dessert are described below for purposes of example. In one possible embodiment, the food composition making up the dessert cube 10 comprises, among other things, a predetermined quantity of gelatin. The dessert cube 10 is adapted to be dissolved in hot water, mixed with a quantity of sugar, and thereafter cooled in a mold to produce a gelatin food product. In this embodiment, the gelatin comprises between 50 and 75 percent by weight of the total mass of the food composition making up the dessert cube, and between about 54%) and about 65%> by weight of the total mass of the food composition in a preferred embodiment. Sugar is present in the dessert cube within a range of between about 22% and about 29%>. Water is present in an amount of less than 5% by weight. Citric acid is present in a range of between about 1 and about 5%>. Preferably, the gelatin has a bloom index (indicating the gel strength derived from the gelatin) of between 220 and 240. For a gelatin drink dessert food product embodiment, the amount of gelatin in the cube could be reduced somewhat, but would be expected to at least 25 percent of the total mass of the dessert cube. Similarly, if more than one dessert cube is to be used to make a given batch of a gelatin dessert of the type that is cooled in a mold, then the quantity of gelatin in the cube could be reduced below the range of 50-75 percent, and may for example be between 25 and 50 percent. As another example, the dessert cube may be used by the consumer to prepare a flan dessert food product. In this example, the food composition comprises, in addition to sugar, flavoring, colorings, carageenan, corn starch and polyglycerol esters. Typical ranges for the flan dessert, in terms of the total mass of the food composition, are as follows: sugar: 60-80%o, carageenan: 14-22%, corn starch: 3.5-7%; polyglycerol esters: 0.5-1.5%), water: 0.7-1.3%. The dessert cube 10 is adapted or formulated to be dissolved in and mixed with milk. The consumer heats the solution in accordance with a predetermined cooking process, pours the solution into a mold and subsequently cools it to produce a flan dessert. The proper range of the amount of carageenan in the dessert cube will depend on the dessert formulation in question, the type of carageenan that is used, and the other ingredients in the mix. If too little carageenan is used the product will not gel satisfactorily, and if too much is used the cube will not dissolve in the time required. For a compact form such as cube or tablet for producing a custard or flan type of dessert product, a suitable range for carageenan is believed to be between 14 and 22 percent of the total mass of the dessert cube. After production of the dessert cubes, the dessert cubes are packaged in a suitable manner for shipment and retail sale. A presently preferred packaging system for the dessert cubes of Figures 1 and 2 is illustrated in Figures 5A-5C and described subsequently. EXAMPLE 1 A gelatin variety dessert cube and manufacturing method will now be described. The mix for the gelatin dessert cube has a formula set forth in Table 1 below. The resulting dessert cube is 12.0 grams in weight, has a dimension of 20 mm x 30 mm x 20 mm, and yields a ! _ liter of gelatin. Table 1. Gelatin Dessert Cube Formulation Ingredient Percentage (wt. % Ranse (+/-) Gelatin (220-240 bloom index) 59.81 5 Fumaric Acid * 5.61 1.5 Flavoring 4.67 to taste Citric Acid ** 2.43 1.0 (as required) Colors (blend) 0.37 as required Sugar (fine) 25.23 3.0 Potable water 1.67 0.5 * Fumaric Acid is used as an acidulant but also adds lubrication properties for the forming process. * * Citric Acid is used as an acidulant but also contributes to some flavors. The manufacturing process for producing the gelatin dessert cube is illustrated in Figure 3. At step 20, the powdered ingredients (other than the gelatin) are pre-blended in a "plow" type mixer or a ribbon blender. The blender must have a high shear mixing device "chopper" to develop the proper granulation to the mix. At step 22, the pre- blended ingredients are hydrated using the water, which is added slowly to the blender. The batch of material is mixed at a high speed during step 24 to thoroughly incorporate the water. At step 26, once the mix is hydrated and a homogeneous blend is achieved, the gelatin power is added as a gentle stream with the mixer on a slow speed. When all of the gelatin has been added, the mixer remains on a slow/medium speed to evenly disperse the gelatin. The mixing action between the hydrated pre-mix and the gelatin causes the gelatin to bind itself to the pre-mix, creating a granular material which is fairly free flowing and has a particle size of between 0.7 mm and 1.2 mm. The use of a fine gelatin (0.5 mm particle size), and the fine sugar, facilitates this granule formation due to the similarity of the particle sizes. It also minimizes the risk of particulate separation during processing. At step 28, the formulation resulting from the above process is then introduced into a suitable press for forming of the dessert cube per se. In a preferred embodiment, this is carried out in a direct compression tablet press in the manner described below. The machine is set to achieve the desired compression force to produce a cube having the desired stability and dissolution properties. The typical compression force is 2,300 p.s.i. This can be adjusted to suit the formulation and the optimum range appears to be between about 2,000 p.s.i. and 2,700 p.s.i. for the gelatin cubes. After production of the cubes, the cubes are packaged in a suitable fashion for distribution or sale. For example, the cubes may be individually wrapped in a tearable film or membrane, preferably one that provides a substantial barrier to the entry of moisture, such as a thin aluminum film. A die-wrapping machine similar to the wrapping machines used for die-wrapping candy bars is a suitable machine for this packaging concept. The process for using the cube to make the gelatin dessert food is as follows: Place one cube into a suitable vessel. Pour in 250 mis of boiling water and stir with a fork or spoon to dissolve the cube. Add approximately 80-100 g sugar (to taste). Add cold water to make the volume up to 500 mis. Stir until all the cube and sugar are dissolved. Pour into molds and refrigerate. EXAMPLE TWO A flan variety dessert cube and manufacturing process for making the dessert cube will now be described. The resulting dessert cube weighs 14.3 grams, is 20 mm x 30 mm x 20 mm, and yields 1 liter of flan. The formulation for the dessert cube is as follows: Table 2. Flan Dessert Cube Formulation Ingredient Percentage (wt. % Range (+/-) Sugar (coarse ground) 70.0 10.0 Carageenan 17.8 4.0 Flavorings 3.97 To taste Polyglycerol esters 1.0 0.5 Colors (blend of Tartrazine and 0.265 As required Ponceau 4R) Salt 0.70 0.3 Corn Starch 5.265 1.5 Potable water 1.0 0.3 The manufacturing process is illustrated in Figure 4. At step 30, the coarse sugar is blended together with the water and the polyglycerol esters to form a hydrated sugar "crumb". All the other ingredients are pre-blended and incorporated into the sugar "crumb" slowly, as indicate at step 32. At step 34, gentle mixing of the resulting formulation is performed. The action of the gentle mixing creates a granule, of relatively uniform size, based around the sugar particles. The material at this stage is a free-flowing granular mix. The particle shape and size distribution is key to the effectiveness of the forming process. At step 36, the mix is introduced in the press and the press forms the dessert cube of the desired shape, mass and dimension. In a laboratory setting, this can be carried out on a hydraulic press using either a 2 or 3 piece die set comprising 1 or 2 machined punches and a machined die cavity. A commercial process is described further below. The typical compression force for the flan variety is 2,100 p.s.i. This can be adjusted to suit the formulation and the optimum range appears to be between about 2,000 and about 2,500 p.s.i. for this embodiment. Commercial production will preferably take place on a direct compression tablet press or other suitable machine, modified as necessary to produce the dessert cube of the desired size and form factor and capable of producing compression forces as required to meet the stability and dissolution objectives for the dessert cube. The dessert cube is then packaged in a suitable package, such as individually wrapped or enveloped in a tearable film such as aluminum foil film. The process for using the cube to make the flan dessert food is as follows: Place one cube into pan with 100 g sugar. Pour in 1 liter of cold milk while stirring with a fork or spoon. Put the pan on the stove and heat to boil, stirring constantly. When boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 1 minute while continuing to stir. Remove from the heat and pour into flan molds and refrigerate. Manufacturing Considerations Prior to forming the dessert cube in the press, the free-flowing granular mix is mixed in a manner to produce an average particle size and an even distribution thereof such that the forming process is most effective. While the optimum particle shape and size in the free-flowing granular mix is not an exact science, the key is to achieve a particle that has a consistent size to prevent separation of the component ingredients. The particles, ideally, should have an irregular shape rather than a spherical and smooth shape. This irregularity enables the particles to "lock" together under compression as the particles are pressed into the air spaces that are present before compression. When a consistent particle size and an irregular shaped granule are achieved then the compression force required is reduced, thus enhancing the dissolution of the dessert cube at the time of preparation of the dessert food product. The granules produced for the dessert cube are typically either based on sugar crystals or gelatin crystals, and such crystals offer a basis to form the irregular particles. The remaining dessert ingredients are then mixed with the sugar/gelatin to coat the particles. The resulting size of the irregular particle will generally be between 0.7 mm and 1.2 mm in size. In the above gelatin embodiment, a gelatin crystal size of less than 0.5 mm is preferred, which will result in a irregular particle in the above range. In the representative embodiments described herein, the contents of the food composition forming the dessert mix are low in, or devoid of, fat or oil and hence machines typically used for making cubes in the food art, such as bouillon cubes, may not be adequate to make the cubes. We have determined that production of many types of the dessert cubes can be carried out satisfactorily using a direct compression tablet press of the general type used in the pharmaceutical and confectionery industries. The Stokes DD2 Rotary Press (where DD2 indicates the tooling size) and the Manesty DX4 and RS3 presses are believed suitable for making the dessert cubes. These machines have punches and dies incorporated into the machine design to enable a continuous operation. A continuous feed system, typically gravity feed, is used to fill the die cavity during each cycle of the press. The lower punch holds the material (i.e., mix), in the die cavity during filling, then once the upper punch descends into the die it compresses the material to form the cube. It has also been experimentally determined that the amount of compression force needed to be applied to the mix during the pressing operation is important to achieve the required stability of the cube, and yet provide a short enough dissolving time. For most dessert cubes, it is presently believed that a compression force of between 2,000 and 2,700 pounds per square inch would be satisfactory. Some modification to the tooling or cam systems may be required to produce the required compression forces. The cubes could be made on most tableting machines, e.g., single punch or rotary, with the only limiting factor being the tooling dimensions. A somewhat simplified schematic illustration of rotary tablet press adapted for continuous production of the dessert cubes is shown in Figure 6. The tablet press 70 includes a plurality of sets of upper and lower punches 72 and 74, respectively, each of which comprise a punch tool 76 placed within a hollow cylindrical collar 78. The punches and an intermediate table 77 move from right to left in unison in the illustrated embodiment. The space defined between the end portions 80 and 82 of the punch tools 76 in the position at the right hand side of the illustration define a region to receive a predetermined quantity of the free-flowing dessert mix from a feed shoe 84. A lower support 86 includes a cam feature 88 providing a tablet weight adjustment, as the feature 88 defines the separation distance, and hence volume of space, between the end portions 80 and 82, when the lower punch 74 rides over the cam feature 88. As the punches 72 and 74 are moved to the left in the illustration, the peripheral end portions 90 and 92 thereof engage an upper compression roll 94 and a lower compression roll 96, respectively. The action of the upper compression roll and lower compression roll on the end portions 90 and 92 of the punches cause the punch tools 76 to move towards each other, compressing the mix and forming a tablet. The punches 72 and 74 are moved further to the left and the tablet is ejected when the lower tool moves over an ejection ramp 98. From the above description, it will be appreciated that we have described a process for manufacturing a dessert cube for use in making a dessert-like food product, comprising the steps of: mixing together a food composition comprising two or more dessert ingredients selected from the group consisting of sugar, flavoring, food coloring, carageenan, corn starch, polyglycerol esters and water to produce a free-flowing granular mix, placing a predetermined quantity of the free-flowing granular mix in a press, and then compressing the mix in the press to achieve a predetermined compression force sufficient to form a compact, solid block of the food composition, for example of the type illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, wherein the compact solid block of the food composition will dissolve in milk or water within a predetermined suitable amount of time, e.g., less than 5 minutes, when the dessert-like food product is to be prepared. One possible example of the food composition includes gelatin, with the resulting solid block or dessert cube adapted to be dissolved in water. In a preferred embodiment the gelatin comprises between 25 and 75 percent by weight of the total mass of the food composition, and more preferably between about 54 and 65 % by weight the total mass of the food composition for a gelatin dessert food product that is refrigerated in a mold. In the mixing process the free-flowing granular mix is preferably mixed in a manner to produce an average particle size of between about 0.7 mm and 1.2 mm prior to the placing of the quantity of mix into the press. After production of the dessert cube, the dessert cube 10 (Figures 1 and 2) is individually wrapped in an openable material such as aluminum foil, and placed in a package. The package either contains or has printed thereon directions for the consumer to prepare the dessert food product in accordance with a predetermined process, such as described above for the flan and gelatin varieties of the dessert cube. Referring now to Figure 5A, a representative package for one or more dessert cubes particularly suitable for retail sale is illustrated in a perspective view. The package 50 comprises a panel 52 and a plastic member or blister 54 affixed to the panel 52 in known fashion. The opening in the clear plastic member 54 is sealed with a removable translucent plastic membrane 56, shown best in Figures 5B and 5C. The plastic membrane or film 56 is peeled away from the panel 52, by means of a tab 59, to open the package. The membrane 56 is removed in Figure 5A. The membrane 56 and the blister 54 enable ready visual observation of the novel dessert cubes in a retail environment. The dessert cubes 10 are individually wrapped or enveloped in an openable material 58 and placed within the blister package 50. The blister package could contain any arbitrary number of dessert cubes, such as one, four, or perhaps ten. The retail consumer opens the blister package by removing the membrane 56 from the panel 52, removes a dessert cube 10 from the package, removes the tearable material 58 from the dessert cube 10, and subsequently prepares the dessert- like food product in accordance with the specified process. In the example of Figure 5 A, the directions for performing the process are printed on the panel as indicated at 60. In a preferred embodiment, the material used for the wrapping 58 is a thin aluminum foil film to provide a moisture barrier for the dessert cubes. Other materials could of course be used. When the consumer opens the blister package 50, they will typically remove one cube from the package 50 and make the dessert from the specified directions. The remaining dessert cubes remain fresh, in a sealed condition in their respective wrapper 58, within the package 50. Thus, the package arrangement of Figure 5A-5C is convenient for the user. Although the preceding detailed description and appended claims refer to sugar as being the primary or even sole ingredient added by the user (other than the liquid such as milk or water) this does not necessarily have to be the case. Furthermore, the term "sugar" is intended to encompass all the various different types and sources of sugar in common usage in the art (e.g., coarse sugar, fine or castor sugar, beet sugar, cane sugar, unrefined or raw sugar, etc.). The term is also intended to encompass the situation in which sugar, such as one or more of the types referred to above, is replaced with a sugar substitute such as aspartame or saccharin. Further, the particular geometric shape, form factor, size and mass of the dessert cube is not considered critical to the practice of the invention. The choice of shape, form factor, size and mass will typically be a function of the type of machine being used to compress and form the dessert cube, the desired yield of the dessert- like food product, and the particular recipe or variety of dessert cube in question. As noted above, the dessert cube may take various forms, such as a rectangular cube, square cube, egg or spheroid shapes, and various tablet forms such as round, ovoid, or square. Accordingly, the generic term "substantially solid block" has been used in the claims with the intent to encompass all such form factors, shapes and sizes of the dessert cube, unless the context clearly indicates that a specific form factor, shape or size is intended. The preferred embodiments having been described with particularity, it will be appreciated that considerable variation from the specifics thereof may be made without departure from the true scope and spirit of the invention. For example, variation from the disclosed preferred food compositions could be made to make other varieties of dessert food products, without departure from the scope of the invention. This true scope and spirit of the invention will be found by reference to the appended claims, interpreted in light of the foregoing specification.

Claims: WE CLAIM: 1. A dessert cube, comprising: a compact, substantially solid block comprising a concentrated food composition containing a plurality of dessert ingredients, said ingredients admixed together to produce a free-flowing granular mix, said free-flowing granular mix subsequently compressed in a press to form said substantially solid block, said substantially solid block adapted to be mixed with a liquid and a quantity of sugar and thereafter processed in a predetermined process to thereby produce a dessert- like food product. 2. The dessert cube of claim 1, wherein said concentrated food composition comprises gelatin, said substantially solid block is adapted to be dissolved in water, and wherein said dessert-like food product comprises a gelatin food product. 3. The dessert cube of claim 2 wherein said gelatin comprises between 25 and 75 % percent by weight of the total mass of said food composition. 4. The dessert cube of claim 3, wherein said gelatin comprises between about 54 and 65 %> by weight the total mass of said food composition. 5. The dessert cube of claim 2, wherein said gelatin has a bloom index of between 220 and 240. 6. The dessert cube of claim 1, wherein said free-flowing granular mix has an average particle size of between about 0.7 mm and about 1.2 mm prior to the placing of said free-flowing granular mix in said press. 7. The dessert cube of claim 2, wherein said food composition further comprises fumaric acid. 8. The dessert cube of claim 1, wherein said free-flowing granular mix is subjected to a compression of at least 2000 pounds per square inch in said press to produce said substantially solid block. 9. The dessert cube of claim 1, wherein said food composition comprises carageenan and corn starch, and wherein said substantially solid block is adapted to be dissolved in and mixed with milk and thereafter mixed with said sugar to form a solution, and wherein said predetermined process comprises heating said solution, pouring said solution into a mold and subsequently cooling said solution. 10. The dessert cube as claimed in any one of claims 1-9, wherein said substantially solid block is individually wrapped in a openable material. 11. The dessert cube as claimed in any one of claims 1-9, wherein said substantially solid block is individually wrapped in a openable material and placed in a package either containing or having printed thereon directions for preparing said dessert food product in accordance with said predetermined process. 12. The dessert cube as claimed in any one of claims 1-9, wherein said substantially solid block has a mass of between 10 and 15 grams. 13. The dessert cube as claimed in any one of claims 1-9, wherein said substantially solid block comprises a rectangular block having sides of at least 15 mm in length. 14. The dessert cube as claimed in any one of claims 1-9, wherein said substantially solid block comprises a tablet. 15. The dessert cube as claim in claim 2, wherein said food composition comprises a food composition substantially as set forth in Table 1. 16. The dessert cube as claim in claim 9, wherein said food composition comprises a food composition substantially as set forth in Table 2. 17. A process for manufacturing a dessert cube for use in making a dessert-like food product, comprising the steps of: mixing together a food composition comprising a plurality of dessert ingredients selected from the group consisting of sugar, flavoring, food coloring, carageenan, com starch, polyglycerol esters, gelatin and water together to produce a free-flowing granular mix, placing a predetermined quantity of said free-flowing granular mix in a press; and compressing said granular mix in said press to achieve a predetermined compression force sufficient to form a compact, substantially solid block of said food composition, wherein said compact, substantially solid block of said food composition will either disperse or dissolve in a liquid within a predetermined suitable amount of time when said dessert-like food product is to be prepared. 18. The process of claim 17, wherein said food composition comprises gelatin, said substantially solid block is adapted to be dissolved in water, and wherein said dessertlike food product comprises a gelatin food product. 19. The process of claim 18, wherein said gelatin comprises between about 25% and 75% by weight of the total mass of said food composition. 20. The process of claim 19, wherein said gelatin comprises between about 54 and 65%o by weight the total mass of said food composition. 21. The process of claim 18, wherein said gelatin has a bloom index of between 220 and 240. 22. The process of claim 17, wherein said free-flowing granular mix is mixed in a manner to produce an average particle size of between about 0.7 mm and about 1.2 mm prior to the placing of said predetermined quantity of said free-flowing granular mix in said press. 23. The process of claim 18, wherein said food composition further comprises fumaric acid. 24. The process of claim 18, wherein, during said step of compressing, said free-flowing granular mix is subjected to a compression force of at least about 2000 pounds per square inch in said press to produce said substantially solid block. 25. The process of claim 24, wherein said compression force is between 2,000 and 2,700 pounds per square inch. 26. The process of claim 17, wherein said food composition comprises carageenan and com starch, and wherein said substantially solid block is adapted to be dissolved in and mixed with milk. 27. The process of claim 26, wherein said compression force is between 2,000 and 2,500 pounds per square inch. 28. The process as claimed in any one of claims 17-27, wherein said compact, substantially solid block is individually wrapped in an openable material. 29. The process as claimed in any one of claims 17-27, wherein said compact, substantially solid block is individually wrapped in an openable material and placed in a package either containing or having printed thereon directions for preparing said dessert food product in accordance with a predetermined process. 30. The process as claimed in any one of claims 17-27, wherein said compact, substantially solid block has a mass of between 10 and 15 grams. 31. The process as claimed in any one of claims 17-27, wherein said compact, substantially solid block comprises a rectangular block having sides of between 15 and 30 mm in length. 32. An easy to use, packaged dessert cube food product adapted for purchase, preparation and consumption by a retail consumer, comprising, in combination: a package defining an enclosure for a product placed therein and comprising a panel and a clear plastic member affixed to said panel enabling visual observation of the contents of said enclosure, a dessert cube comprising a concentrated dessert formulation adapted to be mixed in a liquid, mixed with sugar and subsequently subject to a specified process to prepare a dessert-like food product; and an envelope for said dessert cube comprising an openable material enveloping said dessert cube, said envelope containing said dessert cube placed within said enclosure of said package, whereby said retail consumer opens said package and removes said tearable material from said dessert cube and subsequently prepares said dessert-like food product in accordance with said specified process. 33. The packaged dessert cube food product of claim 32, wherein said enclosure of said package contains between 1 and 10 envelopes, each of said envelopes comprising an openable material enveloping a dessert cube. 34. The packaged dessert cube food product of claim 32, wherein said tearable material comprises an aluminum foil film. 35. The packaged dessert cube food product of claim 32, wherein said dessert cube is formulated such that said dessert cube is mixed with and dispersed in water and mixed with sugar by said retail consumer to make said dessert-like food product. 36. The packaged dessert cube food product of claim 32, wherein said dessert cube is formulated such that said dessert cube is mixed with and dispersed in milk and mixed with sugar by said retail consumer to make said dessert-like food product. 37. The packaged dessert cube food product of claim 32, wherein said dessert cube comprises a sugar and gelatin-based food composition adapted to be dissolved in water, and wherein said dessert-like food product comprises a gelatin food product. 38. The packaged dessert cube food product of claim 37, wherein said food composition comprises gelatin in an amount of between 25 and 75% by weight of the total mass of said sugar and gelatin-based food composition. 39. The packaged dessert cube food product of claim 38, wherein said gelatin comprises between 54 and 65 % by weight the total mass of said sugar and gelatin-based food composition. 40. The packaged dessert cube food product of claim 32, wherein said dessert cube comprises a sugar-based food composition and further comprises flavorings, colorings, carageenan and com starch, and wherein said dessert cube is adapted to be dissolved in and mixed with milk. 41. A dessert cube adapted to be dissolved in or dispersed in water, processed in a predetermined process and subsequently cooled to form a gelatin dessert food product, comprising: a compact, substantially solid block comprising a concentrated food composition containing a plurality of dessert ingredients, wherein said concentrated food composition comprises sugar, gelatin, flavoring, and coloring. 42. The dessert cube of claim 41, wherein said sugar is present in an amount of between about 22 and 29%> by weight, and said gelatin is present in an amount of at least 50 % by weight. 43. The dessert cube of claim 42, wherein said concentrated food composition further comprises water in an amount less that 5 % by weight, citric acid, and fumaric acid. 44. The dessert cube of claim 43, wherein said citric acid is present in an amount of between about 1 and about 5 %> by weight. 45. The dessert cube of claim 41, wherein said gelatin is present in an amount of between 25 and 75 % by weight. 46. The dessert cube of claim 41, wherein said food composition comprises a food composition substantially as set forth in Table 1. 47. A dessert cube adapted to be dissolved in or dispersed in milk, processed in a predetermined process and cooled to form a dessert food product, comprising: a compact, substantially solid block comprising a concentrated food composition containing a plurality of dessert ingredients, wherein said concentrated food composition comprises sugar, carageenan, com starch, flavoring, coloring, and water. 48. The dessert cube of claim 47, wherein said concentrated food composition further comprises salt and polyglycerol esters. 49. The dessert cube of claim 47 wherein said carageenan is present in an amount of between 14 and 22% by weight. 50. The dessert cube of claim 47, wherein said sugar is present in an amount of between about 60 and about 80 % by weight; said carageenan is present in an amount of between about 14 and about 22 % by weight, said com starch is present in an amount of between about 3.5 and about 7 % by weight, and said water is present in an amount less than about 2 % by weight. 51. The dessert cube of claim 46, wherein said food composition comprises a food composition substantially as set forth in Table 2.

Inventors: AREND PHILLIP, HARMANN DAVID, STEPHENS JONATHAN, AREND, PHILLIP, HARMANN, DAVID, STEPHENS, JONATHAN
Applicants: AREND PHILLIP, BESTFOODS, GEN MILLS INC, HARMANN DAVID, STEPHENS JONATHAN, AREND, PHILLIP, GENERAL MILLS, INC., HARMANN, DAVID, STEPHENS, JONATHAN
Application year: 2000
Main classification: A23G
IPC codes: A23G3, A23L1, B30B11