bake - May 2013 - 20

ingredients

Raisins in Snack Foods
Raisins are becoming an important ally for retail bakeries that

Delightful Pastries in Chicago

are introducing new products geared for America’s snacking

makes its own Granola Cookies

generation. Ridley’s Bakery Cafe in Troy, MI, is one example

with raisins, cranberries, bitter-

of an independent retailer enjoying great success with a new

sweet chocolate, cashews and

product called Cinnamon Krisps, which is made from cinna-

One out of
every ﬁve eating
occasions in the US is
a snack, and over half of
Americans are snacking two or three
times a day.

sunﬂower seeds.

mon roll bread with raisins. Originally, a Ridley’s baker discovered that he could use leftover cinnamon bread to create a

Raisins as an ingredient

new snack food by slicing the bread into thin pieces and then

California seedless raisins are available in a variety of sizes

brushing with egg wash, adding coarse sugar and baking. One

appropriate for bakers. These include mini midget raisins,

8-oz package of Ridley’s Cinnamon Krisps sells for $3.99.

midget raisins, select raisins and jumbo raisins, according to
the California Raisin Marketing Board. Golden raisins, Zante

“We can’t make enough of them,” says Ridley’s owner Karl

currants and other dried grape varieties are also available for

Kornack. “Now we make cinnamon roll bread speciﬁcally for

specialized applications.

this product. Our cinnamon roll bread is made with honey, cinnamon, sugar, raisins and whole wheat ﬂour.”

Raisins can be used right out of the case, but experienced
bakers commonly condition raisins in advance. This involves

Sinfull Bakery in Houston is another that is introducing new

re-hydrating raisins to the desired moisture level. Conditioning

products geared for changing demands. This health-focused

is an important step in the production of raisin breads. If raisins

bakery, specializing in vegan, offers a new Everything Bar that

are not conditioned but added directly to the dough, they will

is made with organic seedless raisins and numerous other or-

draw moisture from the bread during fermentation and baking.

ganic ingredients.

This also causes the bread to stale during shipping and distribution, which reduces the shelf life.

Such products appeal to the growing appetite among American consumers for health-focused snacks. A recent NPD food

Promoting raisins to kids

market research report ﬁnds that although Americans still

Bakery snack foods that contain raisins are particularly well-

carve out main meal times, the number of items consumed at

suited when developing new snack products for children.

each main meal has declined over time and consumers snack

Research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

in-between meals often.

indicates that children consume a quarter of their daily calories
from snacks.

Granola with raisins makes a great snack food, and more retailers are jumping on this bandwagon. Great Harvest Bread Co.,
which just opened its newest
location in Katy, TX, offers
a product called Groovy
Granola, which is billed
as a “healthy snack
straight from the bag.”
This resealable 1-lb

A recent study from the University of Toronto revealed that
snacking on raisins may help control hunger in children, an
added beneﬁt for weeknight evenings when dinner is delayed
due to soccer practice, band rehearsal or other after-school
activities. The study showed that among children, eating raisins
as an after-school snack prevents excessive calorie intake and
increases satiety — or feeling of fullness — as compared to
other commonly consumed snacks.

bag contains raisins,
rolled oats, cashews,
honey, molasses,
dried cranberries,
sunﬂower seeds
and cinnamon.

20 < MAY 2013 | bakemag.com

California raisins are all-natural, fat- and cholesterol-free and
are ranked ﬁrst as the most economical dried fruit by the
USDA, making them a delicious snack addition. For more snack
ideas, visit www.LoveYourRaisins.com.
JOHN U N R EIN

http://www.LoveYourRaisins.com http://www.bakemag.com

bake - May 2013

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