Direct expanded snack made with peanut flour and method for making

Abstract

A method for making a direct expanded snack piece shaped like a peanut is disclosed. Ingredients comprising peanut flour, ground corn product, rice flour and oat flour are introduced into an extruder. The ingredients are hydrated and extruded through an orifice adapted to produce a puffed snack piece shaped like a peanut and cut into puffed snacks. The puffed snacks are dried and seasoned.

1 . A puffed snack made by the method comprising:
 introducing into an extruder ingredients comprising by weight on a dry basis:
 about 15% to about 25% peanut flour; 
 about 35% to about 50% rice flour; 
 about 25% to about 35% ground corn product; and 
 about 1% to about 3% oat fiber 
   forming an extrudate by extruding said ingredients through said extruder, wherein said extruder further comprises:
 at least one die exit; 
 an orifice disposed in each said die exit, said orifice comprising:
 a cross-sectional perimeter defined by two approximately parallel linear portions interposed between two diametric portions; 
 a width defining the distance between said linear portions; and 
 a land length between about ⅛ inch and about ½ inch; and 
 
   operating said extruder at a die pressure between about 500 and about 2000 pounds per square inch and at an extrudate temperature between about 320° F. to about 410° F.; and   cutting said extrudate to produce said puffed snacks.   
     
     
         2 . A puffed snack comprising:
 dry ingredients comprising by weight on a dry basis:
 about 15% to about 25% peanut flour; 
 about 35% to about 50% rice flour; 
 about 25% to about 35% ground corn product; 
 about 1% to about 3% oat fiber; and 
 a moisture content between about 0.8% and about 2% by weight 
   a packaging bulk density of between about 0.05 grams per cubic centimeter and about 0.20 grams per cubic centimeter.   
     
     
         3 . The puffed snack of  claim 2  wherein said dry ingredients further comprise:
 about 35% to about 45% said rice flour; and 
 about 5% to about 10% soy protein isolate. 
 
     
     
         4 . The puffed snack of  claim 2  wherein said packaging bulk density is between about 0.1 grams per cubic centimeter and about 0.15 grams per cubic centimeter. 
     
     
         5 . The puffed snack of  claim 2  further comprising on a dry basis, based on the total snack weight, between about 10% and about 18% seasoning. 
     
     
         6 . The puffed snack of  claim 2  further comprising a shape approximating the shape of a whole peanut pod. 
     
     
         7 . The puffed snack of  claim 2  further comprising, per 1 ounce serving:
 less than 5 grams of fat; 
 1 gram or less of saturated fat; 
 about zero trans-fatty acids; 
 less than 25% calories from added sugar; and 
 no more than 240 milligrams of sodium.