QUALITY COMPARISON BETWEEN COOKIES MADE ON A LABORATORY-SCALE LEVEL FROM SNABLE WHEAT FLOUR AND FROM RESEARCH-32 WHEAT FLOUR CULTIVATED LOCALLY IN YEMEN

A sample of wheat grain var. Research-32, cultivated locally in the Republic of Yemen was treated and milled into flour of 72% extraction.  Main chemical components of the flour were determined, then the flour was portioned out to three sets.  Each set was made into dough with similar constituents except the type of fat, where Al-Kamaria ghee, Al-Mumtaz butter and Crude sesame oil were added to the first, the second and the third sets respectively. Three samples of each set with levels of 15, 25 and 35 % were prepared.  Rheological properties of the dough were tested and compared with those of dough samples made of SNABLE wheat flour, which were prepared and treated under similar conditions.  Physical and organoleptic characteristics of cookies made of both Research-32 and SNABLE flours were evaluated also.  Results indicated that concentrations of total protein and wet gluten in Research 32 wheat flour were found to be significantly (0.05=α) higher than those of SNABEL flour.  Though of their high values of water absorption and degree of stability, Research 32 dough samples were characterized with moderately low calculated proportional number, which indicates the suitability of Research 32 wheat flour for use in making cookies of good quality.  Statistical analyses of data obtained through testing physical and organoleptic properties of cookies made of Research 32 dough mix with 35% fat showed that cookies were found to be of high and acceptable quality among Yemeni consumers at 0.05 level of significance.