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ABSTRACT
Development of cookies with adequate nutrients at affordable costs is quite a challenge for developing countries. The study investigated the energy value, proximate composition (moisture, protein, fat, ash, fiber and carbohydrate), physical (diameter, weight, thickness and spread ratio) and organoleptic ( aroma, taste, colour and crispiness) characteristics of cookies produced from blends of wheat flour (WF), almond nut flour (ANF) and some natural plant materials The various ratios of WF and ANF used were 100:0, 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40, 50:50 and 0:100 while 1g of each of the natural plant materials was used for each composite cookie sample. The energy value, protein, fat, fiber, ash contents of the cookies ranged from 402.60 to 408.99 kcal/g, 7.33 to 11.03%, 9.8 to 12.03%, 1.40 to 2.11%, 1.40 to 1.89% respectively while the moisture and carbohydrate contents ranged from 8.80 to 9.20% and 64.02 to 71.27%. The weight, thickness, diameter and spread ratio of the cookies ranged from 9.90 to 16.24 g, 1.62 to-1.75 mm, 6.11 to 4.80 mm and 3.72 to 2.60 respectively. The mean scores for all the assessed sensory parameters were significantly (p<0.05) different among the cookie samples, with varied ranges for aroma (6.01-8.50), taste (6.10- 7.90), colour (6.20-7.90), crispiness (7.10- 8.70) and overall acceptability (6.20- 8.40) respectively. The enriched cookie sample with the incorporation of 10% almond nut flour could substantially reduce foreign exchange on wheat importation and great contribution of the natural plant materials could improve the nutritional status of the vulnerable groups especially children.
Keywords: Cookies, almond nut flour, wheat flour, physical properties, nutrition