Supermarket Perimeter - December 2020 - 22

Bakery

Brownies

Adaptability and versatility make brownies a go-to favorite
BY JENNIFER BARNETT FOX

Cue the variety
While there's plenty to enjoy about the chocolate-free blondie, the
addition of chocolate is where brownies really shine. Barry Callebaut's
Chocolate Trends Report, Outlook for 2020 and Beyond, discovered
70% of consumers want new and exciting chocolate experiences. That
means those looking to raise the chocolate bar will need to attract and
retain younger consumers who are in search of clean label chocolate
with an origin story, a quality deemed as more trustworthy by 61% in
the trends report with chocolate origin and cacao percentage being
inﬂuential to purchase decisions.
A ﬂourishing foodie culture and 24/7 social media also fuel the
desire for the experiential through the purchase of plantation-speciﬁc
chocolate, vintage varietals and naturally derived ﬂavors, allowing
consumers the ability to choose chocolate much like they might a
bottle of wine, a block of cheese or craft beer. Unprecedented variety
over the last ﬁve years produced an 83% growth in chocolate launches,
according to Mintel, including Ruby chocolate, blonde or caramelized
white chocolate and Barry Callebaut's WholeFruit chocolate that
upcycles the 70% of the fruit that's normally discarded - all perfect ways
to elevate the brownie.

Upscaling the basics
The growing ability to meet diverse consumer expectations means
there's a chocolate to suit almost everyone. For those seeking less
intensity and a sweeter bite, there's dark milk chocolate with 40%-50%
cocoa. Middle Eastern, tropical and Asian ﬂavors include hot spices
and dates, and the use of turmeric, saffron and hibiscus provide unique
22 - DECEMBER 2020

color options. Savory chocolate launches feature smoked and ﬂavored
salt and pepper, umami ﬂavors and unexpected additions of browned
butter, bread/sourdough and olive oil. The use of 100% plant-based
ingredients, including fruits, nuts, seeds, roots, ﬂowers, cacao nibs,
plant-based sweeteners, hemp and cannabis introduce a more earthy
element to chocolate offerings.
Noting premiumization and indulgence as two of the biggest trends
in the brownie space, Cargill, Minneapolis, is working with brands
to be a one-stop shop for ingredients including decadent inclusions
and products with premium high cacao content, according to Allison
Leibovich, senior technical services specialist, bakery, Cargill. For bakers
looking to enhance the chocolate experience with a real chocolate
claim, the company offers its Wilbur Duet product that functions like
cocoa powder but also contains chocolate liquor.
Beyond chocolate, inclusions take brownies to the next level with
rising interest in the use of macadamia nuts, frozen cheesecake batter
and peanut butter chunks, according to Stratas Foods, Memphis, Tenn.
The company is also seeing brownie introductions including spice,
salted caramel, cookies and cream, chocolate chunk, s'mores, coconut,
pumpkin and red velvet ﬂavors and additions of fresh berries to add
color. Shades of cocoa powder offer another point of differentiation
with a spectrum of colors available from the red-brown of Cargill's
Gerkens Duchess cocoa powder to black cocoas from Blommer
Chocolate Company, Chicago, perfect for creating trendy " charcoal "
chocolate offerings.
Brand partnerships with well-known confectionary and cookie
brands are yet another way to add novelty and boost bakery sales.
Corbion noted increasing brand callouts in brownies made with Nutella,
Swiss Sweet chocolate or Ghirardelli chocolate.

Marvelous mashups
" Mashup Mania, " as coined by Dawn Foods, Jackson, Mich., is the
combination of foods and ﬂavors and the inspiration behind its brownie
waffle sandwich and dessert lasagna. Combining the traditional with
the new or unfamiliar is driving breakfast traffic and sales with recipes
for brownie waffles and brownie pancakes. To boost interest and
creativity, Mitch Riavez, senior national accounts manager, Stratas
Foods, suggested layering brownies in cakes and cheesecakes with
alternating layers of mousse.
" Brownies offer endless unique crossover possibilities, " said Eric
Richard, industry relations coordinator, IDDBA, Madison, Wis. " It all
comes down to how the instore can showcase the product(s) from a

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USING THE MOST BASIC OF INGREDIENTS and some simple addition
or subtraction, bakers can create brownies that are light and cakelike, dense and fudgy, or enhanced with inclusions and toppings.
A reoccurring crowd-pleaser, particularly among households with
children 6 to 17, brownies accommodate even those who don't like or
can't eat chocolate.
The brownie's delicious yet satisfyingly blank canvas offers delicious
ways to explore new ﬂavors, textures and levels of sweetness while
meeting a growing range of trends, tastes and expectations in scratch,
mix and commercial baking. To enable bakers to quickly take advantage
of the newest trends, Corbion, Lenexa, Kan., offers mixes and bases
like its Gourmet Brownie Mix 2.0 to eliminate variations in scaling and
production and a Brownie Concentrate for the creation of miniature
brownie bites.
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