Abstract: A method of forming an expandable food product having enhanced expandability is disclosed. In the method a cooked starchy farinaceous composition is treated by flash frying in a heated media for a period of from 1 to 15 seconds. The flash fry treatment leads to enhanced expandability, an enhanced percentage of expanded pieces, enhanced coating retention, and an enhanced high fat mouth feel to the food product. The flash fry media can be an edible oil, a paraffin, or a caustic bath of baking soda in water. The product produced has unique consumer appeal.

Abstract: A method for forming a puffed cereal cake is disclosed. The method includes pre-treating the grain used to make the cake by flash frying it in a flash frying media for a period of time of from 1 to 15 seconds prior to puffing and forming the cake. Preferred flash fry media include an edible oil, shortening, or paraffin at a temperature of from 145 to 205° C. Alternatively, the media can comprise a caustic bath of 1% baking soda and 99% water at a temperature of from 70 to 85° C. The pretreatment allows the formation of a puffed cereal cake with dramatically improved taste and texture. In addition, the pre-treatment permits coatings of seasonings or flavorants to adhere to the puffed cereal cake much better. The puffed cereal cake can have a desirable high fat taste with out actually being a high fat food.