Bakery Special: How does the Fortune get into the Cookie?
Approximately 7,200 fortune cookies per hour leave the line via the three-lane folding device, and each has to meet the strict quality requirements. The perfect fortune cookie is 78 mm in diameter, 2.6 mm thick and weighs 6 gram – with only room for minimal tolerances.
Typically the fortune cookie production line includes the baking plates, which are mounted in a floating way, so that they are able to move with the expansion of the batter, thus insuring uniform thickness of the products. The batter contains a high amount of sugar to keep it flexible during the production process. The mass is deposited on the flat lower baking plates and is formed by cavities in the upper baking plates – six circles per baking plate, each giving the precise form to the finished cookie. Due to a new fat spraying device only a marginal quantity of release agent is required, to avoid the cookies from sticking to the plates, meaning also saving cost and calories by using less fat.
After a baking time of about three minutes, the fortune cookies are taken off and slid into the folding device. The first fold is centrally in the middle including the small paper strip with the wisdom. The cookie looks like a semicircle after that. Following this, the edges are torn downwards over a rail and are then ejected via a slider. During the whole process the fortune cookie has to keep the perfect temperature as it needs to stay flexible during forming. Afterwards it is cooled down at room temperature to get crispy before going straight into the individual colourful packaging.
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