Let’s talk about the pandemonium of fat
From the sizzling sound of oil in a pan to the rich, creaminess of butter melting, describe a more sumptuous smell than when fat hits the heat; each fat with its own unique aroma and flavour there is nothing quite like it.
In food, fats are essential to not only providing texture and aroma but also incorporating the complexity of flavours – adding the finishing touch to any product. Traditionally, butter was the chosen fat in baking – from cakes to pastry, it was key at providing that extra depth of flavour and creating a moreish moment of satisfaction that kept you wanting to go back for more. However, we have seen the price of dairy, over the years, continue a steep incline as a pint of milk soars from 7 to 49p as UK farmers continue to battle out fair/ competitive pricing against the exports arriving from Europe. In the year 2022, this has only become tougher as we come out of the pandemic, the price of feed, fuel and fertiliser continually rising, making it more difficult for farmers to compete, with some debating on leaving the industry altogether. Not only are the ever-increasing prices taking their toll on farmers, but this added to the consequential effect of the war in Ukraine and is also driving up the cost of living has affected consumer choices. Demand for luxury items is starting to fluctuate, and cheaper alternatives are being selected despite lacking the same sumptuous impact on the tastebuds.
Price is not the only thing influencing the reduced intake of dairy, we see a rise in demand for plant-based foods, targeting the vegan market or the more environmentally conscious consumers when deciding on their eating habits. Dairy substitute ingredients like tofu, chickpeas, cashews, and pea protein are taking the spotlight as a suitable replacement for butter and cheeses.
Nevertheless, these new game-changing ingredients have their own unique impact on flavour and can overpower the product leaving an earthy, raw, or metallic taste that is less indulgent than its diary counterpart – creating a new challenge to mask and provide similar flavour notes to those established in classic dairy products.
Indulgence remains a key attribute for return purchases as consumers come back craving more. Still, as the date gets closer for governments to bring in new legislation to tackle obesity (HFSS), indulgent products requiring ingredients such as fats and sugars are being targeted – raising the question of how to keep the consumer hooked. In cake, fats contribute to the short texture, moist nature, and creamy luxurious melt-in-the-mouth flavour. In bread, the fats produce a silky texture and sweet lactic, milkiness to the dough. A croissant uses the fat to create a melt-in-the-mouth flaky layer that coats the pallet with intense caramelised buttery flavour – each product relies on the fat to form its key flavour and texture characteristics.
Croissants, recognized for that silky mouth coating and rich buttery flavour – can any other fat but dairy? House of flavours can answer that question as we present a rich buttery flavoured croissant made without using butter. Using our Butter 085/21706 flavouring in conjunction with vegetable fat, we have been able to create a beautiful balanced sweet, creamy lactic sensation – butter taste whilst providing a cost-effective solution
Vegan-friendly cheesecake anyone? Using a Tofu base, House of Flavours would not want anyone to miss out on that sumptuous sweet creamy slight cheesy note of traditional cheesecake. Here we paired Cream Cheese 085/21225 flavouring with our Caramelized White Chocolate 085/22608 flavouring to create a sweet cooked vanilla sensation. The Cream Cheese 085/21225 create a lactic fatty note whilst the Caramelized White Chocolate 085/22608 creates an underlining depth of cooked sugar – vegans can still have it all!
Chocolate Fudge Red Velvet Cake, a fully indulgent rich treacle delight, is not quite what the spec for the government guidelines would have in mind with its extra sweet, fatty layer of goodness. Challenge adverted as we play around with removing 10 and 20% of the fat and sugar and by adding our luxurious flavours to still provide that addictive flavour. In the 10%, a combination of Toffee Fudge 085/20803 with Buttercream 085/23404 provided a deep brown fudge note with a lengthening sweetness that lingered on the tongue. We went one step further and reduced the fat and sugar down by 20% and used a combination of our Carmel 085/21980 and Buttercream 085/23404 to provide a burst of creamy cooked fatness and sweet golden caramel flavour. All topped with a reduced fat ganache using our Chocolate Ganache 085/23406 boosting the natural chocolate notes from the product whilst providing that luxurious coating feel in the mouth.
