Quality characteristics of bakery products rely partially on the amount and type of fats in their formulation. This study focused on producing emulsified shortenings with high oleic palm oil fractions to be thermo-mechanically characterized and used in the baking of high-fat cookies. Palm oil and hydrogenated fats were commonly used in bakery shortenings to achieve texture and flavor. However, saturated and trans-fats have been shown to cause detrimental health effects, motivating their replacement by unsaturated fats. High oleic palm oil (HOPO) is a novel oil with lower saturated fat and higher oleic acid compared to traditional palm oil (TPO). High oleic red olein (HORO) is a carotene-rich fraction of HOPO. Emulsified shortenings with 30% saturated fat containing HOPO, HORO, and TPO were produced. All shortenings resulted in similar onset temperatures of crystallization and melting points through DSC. Mid-melting peaks observed on TPO where absent in HOPO and HORO shortenings, reflected in lower hardness and calculated SFC of HOPO and HORO shortenings vs. TPO shortening. However, physical properties of shortening-containing cookies were not statistically different. It was demonstrated how HOPO and HORO can be used as alternative fats to TPO in the making of shortenings to be used in baking applications.

Quality characteristics of bakery products rely partially on the amount and type of fats in their formulation. This study focused on producing emulsified shortenings with high oleic palm oil fractions to be thermo-mechanically characterized and used in the baking of high-fat cookies. Palm oil and hydrogenated fats were commonly used in bakery shortenings to achieve texture and flavor. However, saturated and trans-fats have been shown to cause detrimental health effects, motivating their reduction and replacement by unsaturated fats. Blending of fats and the use of emulsifiers are low-cost techniques to produce pumpable shortenings; alternative fats that comply with functional and sensory requirements of current baking fats. High oleic palm oil (HOPO) is a novel oil with a lower content of saturated fat and higher content of oleic acid compared to traditional palm oil (TPO). High oleic red olein (HORO) is a carotene-rich fraction of HOPO. In this study, emulsified shortenings containing HOPO, HORO, and TPO were produced under identical conditions to reach 30% saturated fat. DSC peaks of mid-melting triglycerides in TPO were not present in HOPO or HORO, reflected in lower SFC and hardness of HOPO and HORO shortenings vs. TPO shortening. However, all formulations resulted in similar onset temperatures of crystallization and melting points. Despite thermal and physical differences between shortenings, physical properties of shortening-containing cookies were not statistically different. It was demonstrated how HOPO and HORO can be used as alternative fats to TPO in the making of shortenings to be used in baking applications.