This study focused on the enhancement of the nutritive value of cookies and cupcakes by utilizing banana flour fortified with squash and carrots.
Specifically, the desirability of cookies and cupcakes baked with banana flour enriched with squash and carrot was investigated in terms of their color and appearance, texture, flavor and taste; and general acceptability. In addition, significant differences among the variable proportions of the ingredients, such as the squash and carrot, were also studied, including a cost and return analysis of the cookies and cupcakes using the banana flour fortified with squash and carrot.
This study used the experimental method. There were four treatments, with the first treatment, cookies and cupcakes baked with 100% banana flour. The remaining three treatments were treatment 2 (with squash), treatment 3 (with carrots), and treatment 4 (with squash and carrots). The different banana flour recipes fortified with squash and carrot-cookies and cupcakes were judged by ten experts.
Results revealed that the cookies and cupcakes were generally acceptable as well as desirable in terms of color, texture, flavor, and taste. In addition, choosing between squash or carrot as an additional ingredient in the banana flour was not a problem, since it was found that cookies and cupcakes with 50% banana, 25% carrot, and 25% squash were more preferable as they exhibited almost the same acceptability and desirability as the cookies and cupcakes baked with 100% banana flour. Moreover, it was found that the banana flour enriched with squash and carrot cookies and cupcakes showed a promising net profit.

 

Includes appendices and bibliographical references