Evaluation of Gluten-Free Amaranth and Navy Bean Flour Blends on Quality of Sugar Cookies

Abstract

Gluten-free sugar cookies were made from amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus) and navy bean flours of different ratios. The physical properties of flour blends, dough, and cookies were evaluated. This study found that navy bean and its blends with amaranth had greater water holding capacity (WHC) than that of wheat flour. The increased WHC was observed as the amount of navy bean flours increased in blends. The amaranth flour had the highest water soluble index (WSI) and pasting viscosities. The WSI, pasting viscosities and rheological elastic properties of composites were improved by amaranth flour. Differences were also found in geometrical and textural properties of the doughs and cookies. The cookies made from flour blends have lower width and spread factors; however, they had higher thickness and volume resulting in higher yield compared to wheat flour. Overall, the cookies made by amaranth, navy bean, and their blends were rated "acceptable" in color, flavor, texture, and overall acceptability in the sensory study. The flavorings of vanilla, cinnamon, and almond extracts improved sensory scores of cookies made from blends, making them indistinguishable from cookies using wheat flour. This study suggested that the amaranth-navy bean blends could be good gluten-free candidates for health-promoting food products.

Properties, Structure, and Acceptability of Innovative Legume-Based Biscuits with Alternative Sweeteners

“…It could be said that the water activity values of the final biscuit samples generally followed the moisture content, ranging between 0.247 ± 0.00 (BC31) and 0.498 ± 0.01 (B13) ( Table 3 ). The water activity of chickpea- and lentil-containing biscuits was within the range reported in the past [ 13 , 34 – 36 ] and was suitable to ensure long shelf life and textural attributes like crispness.…”

“…In the past, there have been several studies indicating reformulation of biscuits by adding different types of legumes, such as chickpeas, lupins, green lentils, and navy beans [9][10][11][12][13]. It should be noted that, compared to bread, gluten plays a minor role in biscuits, with its development generally being regarded as undesirable as it can create problems (excessive shrinkage or distortion, thickness reduction, and checking), which causes biscuits to break or crack after baking [14,15].…”