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Title: Micro-Sugar-Snap and -Wire-Cut Cookie Baking with Trans- and Zero-Trans-Fat Shortenings

Author
item Kweon, Meera
item Donelson, Thomas
item SLADE, LOUISE - Food Polymer Science Consultancy
item LEVINE, HARRY - Food Polymer Science Consultancy

Submitted to: Cereal Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/28/2010
Publication Date: 9/16/2010
Citation: Kweon, M., Donelson, T.S., Slade, L., Levine, H. 2010. Micro-sugar-snap and -wire-cut cookie baking with trans- and zero-trans-fat shortenings. Cereal Chemistry. 87:415-419.

Interpretive Summary: The two AACC micro-cookie-baking methods were used to evaluate the effect of trans- and zero-trans-fat shortenings on cookie-baking performance. For both fat shortenings, sugar-snap cookies made with a given flour were larger in diameter, smaller in height, and greater in weight loss during baking than were corresponding wire-cut cookies. Differences in fat type (trans vs zero-trans) did not significantly affect the geometry of sugar-snap cookies, but did affect that for wire-cut cookies. Of the two baking methods, wire-cut cookie baking showed a much more sensitive response to changing ingredients, compared with sugar-snap cookie baking. Our overall results thus confirmed that wire-cut cookie baking is a better diagnostic tool for use in evaluating ingredient changes in cookie formulas. When the wire-cut cookie-baking method is used for analyzing the cookie-baking quality of soft wheat flours, and in particular, for comparing the baking performance of a comprehensive set of flour samples, use of consistent ingredients and procedures is also necessary, in order to obtain reliable results.

Technical Abstract: The effect of trans- and zero-trans-fat shortenings on cookie-baking performance was evaluated, using the two AACC micro-cookie-baking methods. Regardless of fat type, sugar-snap cookies made with a given flour were larger in diameter, smaller in height, and greater in weight loss during baking than were corresponding wire-cut cookies. Differences in fat type (trans vs zero-trans) did not significantly affect the geometry of sugar-snap cookies, but did affect that for wire-cut cookies. In the wire-cut cookie-baking method, cookies made with zero-trans-fat shortening produced larger diameters, smaller heights, and greater weight loss during baking than did those made with trans-fat shortening. Of the two baking methods, wire-cut cookie baking showed a much more sensitive response to this ingredient change, compared to sugar-snap cookie baking. Ouroverall results demonstrate that wire-cut cookie baking is a better diagnostic tool for use in evaluating such ingredient changes in cookie formulas.