Patent ID: 8431172

Claim:
A method for the continuous production of cookies having a high content of large inclusions comprising extruding a substantially homogenous cookie dough having a high content of large inclusions through a die aperture above a moving conveyor to provide a vertically oriented dough rope, the inclusion content of the dough being from about 20% by weight to about 60% by weight, based upon the total weight of the dough, said inclusions having a particle size of from about 300 count/lb to about 10,000 count/lb, ultrasonically cutting the vertically oriented dough rope with an ultrasonic cutting blade to obtain dough pieces having a roughened top surface while cutting through inclusions so that the dough pieces fall onto said moving conveyor with said roughened top surface facing upward, transporting the dough pieces on said moving conveyor to an oven, and baking said dough pieces into cookies having a cracked top surface and inclusions which extend above the baked cookie dough top surface, wherein the power supply to said ultrasonic cutting blade is varied to lower the power supply input and increase friction during cutting as the blade travels across the dough rope using an amplitude of 10 to 19 microns to produce surface roughness on the dough pieces.