Cookies are baked food that is typically small, flat and sweet. It usually contains flour, sugar and other ingredients. Tiger nut is globally recognized for its nutritional, functional and medicinal properties that are suitable for children, grownups and sport men. However, it is highly underutilized. The inclusion of date palm fruit in the production of cookies from wheat flour fortified with tiger nut flour enhances good sensory attributes and reduces the risk of diabetics associated with consumption of granulated sugar as sweeteners. The samples were formulated as 75%, 15% and 10%; 70%, 20% and 10%; 65%, 20% and 15%; 60%, 15% and 25%; and 50%, 30% and 20% of wheat flour, tiger nut flour and date palm fruit respectively. Pasting properties of composite flour, proximate and microbial analyses of the products were determined. Pasting properties showed that peak viscosity (2093 – 2792) RVU; trough viscosity (1480 – 2031) RVU; breakdown viscosity (434 – 759) RVU; final viscosity (3016 – 3258) RVU; setback viscosity (1210 – 1536) RVU; pasting temperature (68.20 – 71.55)oC; and pasting time (8.77 – 9.31) minutes. Proximate analysis showed that crude protein (11.33 – 11.99)%; crude fat (1.25 – 2.36)%; crude fibre (1.88 – 2.40)%; total ash (1.68 – 1.89)%; moisture content (10.83 – 12.63)%; and carbohydrate (68.48 – 70.89)%. Microbial count of the cookies showed that at week 0, there was no growth both in the nutrient agar plates and in the potato dextrose agar plate. From week 1 to week 3, total viable count in cookies stored at ambient condition was found to be higher than those stored in the refrigeration and freezing condition. However, bacterial count was found to be higher in week 1, 2 and 3 for each storage condition. At p˂0.5 level of significance, there was no significant difference in most sensory attributes considered. Overall acceptability of cookies were rated high between like slightly and like extremely. This is an indication that apart from additional nutritional benefit, organoleptic quality and suitability of the food satisfied consumer’s perception.
Keywords: Flour, Proximate, Quality, Sensory, microbial, pasting
