Physical and Organoleptic Properties of Cookies Produced with Date Fruit Pulp, Toasted Watermelon Seed and Wheat Flour Composite

Abstract

Composite flour of different ratios were produced from wheat, date fruit pulp and toasted watermelon seeds. Cookies of various blends (CHU= 100% wheat Flour without fat and sugar; CHUY=100% wheat flour with sugar and fat; CHUY1=90%: 5%:5%; CHUY2= 80%:10%:10%; CHUY3=70%:15%: 15%; CHUY4= 60%: 20%:20% wheat flour: toasted watermelon seed: date fruit pulp flour respectively) were produced. The physical and organoleptic properties of the cookies were determined and Mean values of the triplicate data were subjected to One-Way ANOVA. The means were separated using Fishers’ test (p≤0.05). CHUY3 was preferred in physical properties: spread ratio (3.95), thickness (11.65mm), diameter (45.66mm) and weight (7.30g). The organoleptic qualities of CHUY: aroma (7.15), Colour (7.45), taste (7.55), texture (7.45), crispness (7.35) and overall acceptability (7.35) were better. However no significant (p≤0.05) difference was observed in overall acceptability. Efforts should be geared towards the commercial production of this cookies as well as suitable packaging material for it.

Proximate Compositions and Functional Properties of Composite Flour Produced with Date Fruit Pulp, Toasted Watermelon Seed and Wheat

“…The pulp with pericarp was then oven dried at 75 o C for 6 hours and subsequently milled using an attrition mill (Atlas Exclusive, Alzico Ltd mill). It was sieved through a 250 mm mesh of US standard sieve to obtain fine flour and packaged for use [9].…”

“…The composite flours for the cookies were formulated at ambient temperature (28-30 o C) using the modified method by Olapade and Adeyemo [23] with wheat flour, date palm fruit pulp meal (DPFP) and toasted watermelon seed meal in the following ratios 90:5:5, 80:10:10, 70:15:15, 60:20:20, 50:25:25 as shown in table 1. The control was 100% flour [9].…”

“…Hence, wheat consuming countries located in tropical regions, which mostly are developing nations, rely on countries located in temperate regions for wheat importation [8]. The dependence on the use of wheat flour is a major constraint in biscuit production [2,9]. Watermelon (Citrillus lanatus), is a typical fruit from the Crucurbitaceae.…”

“…According to Dada et al [16], date palm fruits consists of more than 70% sugar mainly glucose and fructose. It is high in energy value thus making it an ideal replacement for sugar (sucrose) in the cookie recipe [9]. It is also of great nutritional benefit because it reduces the risk of increasing blood sugar level of diabetic patients.…”

“…Hence it can be used to replace sugar in bakery and confectionery products. Sugar is a major ingredient used in the production of cookies [9], cakes, and other pasta products. But it has its own associated problems of inducing metabolic disorders such as Type 2 diabetes, obesity etc.…”