CALABASAS, CALIF.  — Chaucer Foods, a supplier of freeze-dried fruit, vegetables and baked ingredients, now offers sweet baked ingredients to help food manufacturers improve the taste and texture in a variety of treats. The ingredients are shaped, dried versions of bakery recipes. They are made in small batches with no additives or artificial preservatives.

“Our new sweet baked products are the perfect way to add a sense of occasion to your bakery, confectionery, dairy and beverage products,” said Tom Malkoski, chief executive officer of Chaucer Foods, Inc. “They can be easily added to any product recipe and, importantly, will not compromise applications because they have low water content.”

In baked foods, the ingredients may be added after baking or baked on top of brownies, muffins and cookies to add crunch, texture and flavor. In confectionery, they may be used as toppings, inclusions or decoration for chocolate, cereal bars, fudge, caramels and truffles.

In dairy, the sweet baked ingredients work as a topping, or they may be added directly into ice cream or in chocolate-coated ice cream toppings. In desserts, they may be decorations or layers for crème brulee, tarts and cheesecakes, and they may be baked on top of crumbles and pies. In beverages, they add visual appeal and provide indulgent flavor.