Abstract: Disclosed is a pudding component comprising a conventional instant pudding in granulated form. The granulated pudding component has also been formed into larger sized pieces referred to herein as "nuggets." The granules of the pudding component are essentially characterized by the physical features of (1) particle size, (2) bulk porosity, (3) density, (4) initial rates of moisture absorption, and (5) moisture content. The granules are mixed with a heated sugar solution to form a matrix of sugar and pudding granules.

Abstract: Disclosed are dry mixes for cakes, comprising conventional full formulation dry mixes in a particular physical form. The present granulated dry mixes can be used to prepare finished cakes by conventional baking but without requiring such steps as mixing to form a batter, or batter aeration or coating the baking container. The granulated dry mixes are characterized by the physical features of (1) particle size, (2) bulk porosity, (3) density, (4) initial rates of moisture absorption, and (5) moisture content. The particle size essentially ranges from about 0.9 to 3.0 mm. The bulk porosity essentially ranges from about 0.55 to 0.64. The density essentially ranges from about 0.45 to 0.70 g./cc. The rates of initial moisture absorption essentially range (at 70.degree. F., 21.degree. C.) from about 0.055 to 0.075 gram of water per gram of mix per second.

Abstract: Disclosed are dry mixes for the provision of finished cakes, especially layer type, having a discrete and discontinuous pudding phase characterized by large sized pudding regions. The present dry mixes require no batter mixing or aeration but merely require the addition of measured amounts of water and baking. The present mixes comprise a cake component comprising a conventional full formulation dry mix for cakes in a particular physical form referred to as "granulated." Additionally, the mixes comprise a pudding component comprising a conventional instant pudding also in granulated form. The granulated pudding components have also been formed into larger sized pieces referred to herein as "nuggets." The granules of both the layer cake and pudding components are each essentially characterized by the physical features of (1) particle size, (2) bulk porosity, (3) density, (4) initial rates of moisture absorption, and (5) moisture content.

Abstract: Disclosed are food compositions and methods for preparing cheese-coated puffed snack products upon simple heating of the food compositions in a consumer microwave oven. The food compositions comprise a plurality of puffable farinaceous dough puff pieces or pellets in a puffing medium throughout which the puff pieces or pellets are dispersed. The puffing medium comprises from about 30% to 90%, by weight of the puffing medium, of an edible fatty triglyceride and from about 10% to 60% by weight of dehydrated cheese solids. The puffing medium contains no more than about 2% by weight reducing sugars. The weight ratio of puffing medium to puff pieces ranges between about 0.2:1 to 1.3:1.

Abstract: Dry mixes for use with ground meat and water to provide products in the nature of lunchmeat specialities. The dry mix compositions include starch or a starch source material, a two component protein ingredient, a meat curing agent, an alkaline phosphate salt and sodium chloride. Processes for preparing products from the dry mixes.