Ice cream is a favorite treat for children and adults, which is the most sought-after product on hot summer days. There are many varieties of ice cream packaged in different containers, but the wafer cup has been and remains the most popular packaging option.
The story of the appearance of a waffle cup
Like an ice cream cone, the history of the waffle cup dates back to 1896, when Italian emigrant Italo Marchioni first invented and then patented his invention.
Marchioni was thought to have been a successful lemon ice merchant at the time, but he sold his goods in glass cups, which were often broken, or customers forgot to return them.
To stop throwing money to the wind, ruining on dishes, Marchioni came up with and began to make edible glasses that follow the shape of glass. Later, in 1903, the merchant received a patent for a waffle cup, which brought him a lot of money and fame.
The composition of the dough for a waffle cup
A characteristic feature of a wafer cup is cracking when cracked, which can be explained not only by the low amount of moisture in the dough, but also by the corrugated surface of the product. Wafer cups on an industrial scale are made only in special machines. To make such cups at home is unrealistic, since the finished products have a bottom, which distinguishes them from a waffle cone.
The recipe for waffle cups is pretty simple. The composition of the test, in addition to wheat flour, includes the following components:
- salt;
- soda;
- water;
- vegetable oil;
- lecithin (acts as a natural emulsifier).
Sometimes lecithin and vegetable oil can be replaced by eggs.
How many calories are in a waffle cup? This question is of interest to many lovers of such goodies as ice cream. In fact, the calorie content of a waffle cup is only 341 kcal per 100 g of product, which in terms of 1 cup is an insignificant indicator. That is why they can be safely consumed by those who seek to keep their weight “within”. However, if you add some filling to the waffle cup, then the calorie content of this product increases greatly, so you need to be careful with such products (or you can put only low-calorie fillings in them).
Waffle Cup Production
The technology for producing wafer cups has not changed much since their invention. Despite the fact that this is a fairly simple product, the air temperature in the baking shop can reach 50 degrees, and humidity - 100%.
After the dough is thoroughly kneaded and there will be no lumps in it, all this mass is sent to a special form, where a press punch is dropped from above. After only a minute, during which the dough will be baked, the cups will be ready. After that, they get enough sleep on the line where the packers manually cut off excess dough from them, and then put the finished products in boxes. In a similar way, you can produce up to 100,000 waffle cups per day.
Small enterprises use a lighter manufacturing scheme, since they have sliding forms in the production, into which the press is lowered. That is why on many wafer cups you can see the seam, which is formed in the places where the shapes are joined.
Waffle cup filling
Since wafer cups cannot be made at home, finished products of industrial manufacture are in great demand among the population. Such cups can be independently filled with a variety of fillings. Fans of sweet dishes can fill wafer cups not only with ice cream, decorated with fresh berries or fruit slices, but also with boiled condensed milk, cream or any other filling to your liking.
Fans of savory foods can add a filling to their tasteless fresh glasses that will make them a quick and tasty snack. This can be minced meat, fish or vegetable stuffing, which you need to invest in the interior of your culinary art. Then the filled cups with the filling can be fried in a pan, getting a tasty and original dish, which will not be ashamed to bring the guests to the table.