Technological and sensorial characteristics of cookies prepared with high levels of soybean hulls, cooked in a microwave oven

Abstract

With the purpose of obtaining high fiber cookies with pleasant sensory characteristics, different levels (10 to 40%) of soybean hulls (SH) were mixed with wheat flour and used in the preparation of these cookies. The rheological properties of the mixed flours were determined and it was observed that water absorption, arrival time and departure time, as well as the dough development time increased with an increase of levels of SH (up to 30%). Such a behaviour was not showed by the dough stability. It was also observed that, concerning to the paste viscosity characteristics, increasing levels of SH resulted in a slight increase of the initial temperature of paste formation and in a marked decrease of its maximum viscosity temperature, as well as its maximum viscosity, its minimum viscosity at constant temperature and its cooling cycle final viscosity. Cookies were evaluated for its appearance, flavor and texture. The chemical composition and the volume expansion of cookies were also determined. The results show that the cookies made from flours with 10, 20 and 30% of SH, and cooked in the microwave oven for five minutes, presented better appearance, flavor and texture, and were equally preferred by the consumer-type panelists. Cookies with 30% of SH are the most valuable ones, since they have the highest crude fiber content.