Quality Characteristics of Cookies Incorporated with Pili (Canarium ovatum) Nut Flour

Abstract

Pili nuts are edible nuts that can potentially be used in many food products, including bakery products such as cookies. This research aimed to determine the nutritional composition and physical properties of cookies incorporated with pili nut flour at different formulations (F0: 0%, F1: 10%, F2: 20% and F3: 30%). Sensory evaluation for consumer acceptance with 50 untrained panellists was carried out on the different cookie formulations. The cookies were made with the addition of different ratios of pili nut flour to wheat flour. The incorporation of pili nut flour in cookies resulted in a significant increase (p<0.05) in ash, fat, crude fibre, protein and energy content. In terms of cookie texture, hardness values increased with an increase in pili nut flour content in the formulation. The spread ratio of the cookies also increased while the bulk density and water activity of the cookies decreased with an increase in the amount of pili nut flour in the cookie formulations. The results showed that incorporating pili nut flour in the formulation of cookies at a ratio of 30% (F3) was most preferred by consumers in terms of colour, aroma, texture, taste and appearance. In conclusion, this study found that the nutritional value of cookies could be improved by boosting the protein content, which is a common deficiency observed in cookies made with conventional wheat flour.