Production and Quality Evaluation of Cookies from Wheat, Defatted Peanut and Avocado Composite Flour

Abstract

In this study, carried out at Makurdi Nigeria, peanuts and avocado pulp were processed into flours and blended with refined wheat flour in proportions 100:0:0, 95:5:0, 90:5:5, 85:10:5, 80:10:10 and 75:15:10. The functional properties of the flour blends were determined. Cookies were made using the creaming method from these flour blends with one hundred per cent wheat flour serving as control. The physico-chemical and sensory properties of cookies from wheat/defatted peanut/avocado flour were determined using standard analytical methods. The functional properties of the flour blends increased with increasing substitution of wheat flour with defatted peanut flour and avocado flour. The enriched cookies were found to have higher protein, energy, vitamin and mineral content as compared to refined wheat cookies. The protein content increased from 15% in the control sample to 26.64% in the sample F which is the sample with the highest substitution of wheat flour. Magnesium content increased from 173.37 mg/100 g in the control sample to 221.36 mg/100 g in sample F. There was no significant difference in the dietary fibre content of the enriched cookies as compared to the control. Substitution with peanut flour and avocado flour did not alter the physical properties of the cookies. The sensory scores for all the cookies enriched with defatted peanuts flour and avocado flour were above average 4.5. Sample C, with 5% peanut flour and 5% avocado flour had the best sensory attributes among the supplemented cookies at 5% level of significance and compared favourably with the control cookies. Thus cookies made from wheat, defatted peanut and avocado composite flour at an optimal substitution level of 90;5;5 can be regarded as a suitable balanced meal.