Development of a Bran Muffin Recipe for Cook-Chill Service Systems

Abstract

A bran muffin recipe used in a cook-chill foodservice system was developed. Two commonly available chemical leavening systems, baking soda and acid, and two storage conditions, refrigerated and frozen, were compared. Initial and final height of the muffins baked after storage for 1 to 5 weeks was recorded. An expert sensory panel was used to determine the general acceptability, taste, texture and aroma of the muffins. Freezing the batter for up to five weeks produced acceptable muffins from both chemical leavening systems used in this study. Muffins baked at higher temperatures had higher baked heights than those baked at lower temperatures. It appears that the leavening system as well s temperature of the oven contribute to an acceptable product. One limitation of the refrigerated storage system appeared to be availability of base. Changing the preparation method to pre-soaking the cereals and raisins and adding the flour at the last step of mixing appeared to improve the texture of these muffins.