January 29, 2007

Donut? Will that be Regular or Decaf?

So, without a usual cup of coffee in the morning, some people can barely function, and are in need of a little kick from come caffeine. Well, if one gentleman in NC has his way, you might just be consuming caffeinated baked goods. He's developed caffeinated donuts and bagels that contain up to 100mg of caffeine, which is quite a punch for regular folks who may not be used to much more than the 50+ found in some soft drinks. For those of us who may hit the espresso a few times a day, 100mg is about par for a pleasurable outing. This molecular scientist and coffee shop owner has come up with the idea to caffeinate his baked goods. He's also trying to patent the idea and shop it around to some pretty big names: Krispy Kreme, Dunkin Donuts, and Starbucks.

If any readers have ever gone through a sensory training class, they may remember that caffeinated water is THE definition and standard for bitterness. And apparently adding powdered caffeine to the baked goods had a bittering effect too. It wasn't until they essentially encapsulated caffeine that they were able to bake with it and have good tasting baked goods.

More at Buzzdonuts.com