Abstract:
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) is a
tropical spice crop belonging to the family Lauraceae. It is used
as a spice; there is a lack of value-added cinnamonincorporated food products in the local market as well as in
foreign markets. Pumpkin is an abundant tropical vegetable
that contains vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, and fibers. This
study aimed to develop cinnamon-incorporated pumpkin
cookies with high nutritional qualities, identify
physicochemical characteristics, and evaluate the sensory
attributes. A 4:1 ratio was selected as the best ratio wheat flour
supplementation with pumpkin flour. Cinnamon bark oil was
incorporated into cookies in three different concentrations
(0.1%, 0.3%, and 0.5%) and the best formulation was selected
through sensory analysis with 30 untrained panelists. The
cinnamon powder was incorporated into cookies in three
different concentrations (2%, 4%, and 6%), and the best
formulation was selected through sensory evaluation. For the
sensory analysis, seven-point hedonic scales were used. Based
on sensory results, 0.1% cinnamon oil and 2% powderincorporated cookies were selected. Physicochemical
characteristics were tested for the best two selected products
and control (pumpkin cookie without adding cinnamon)
samples. Powder-incorporated cookies contained 3.01%
moisture, 3.19% protein, 27.92% fat, and 1.42% ash. Bark oilincorporated cookies had 2.67% moisture, 3.27% protein,
26.88% fat, and 1.39% ash. The highest antioxidant activity
was detected in the powder incorporated pumpkin cookies. The
selected two products and control samples were evaluated in
shelf-life studies using moisture, water activity, pH, colour,
titratable acidity, and yeast and mold count, at two-week
intervals, up to two months. Cinnamon bark oil and powder
can be incorporated into pumpkin cookies to enhance flavour
and physicochemical properties.
