Influence of protein source on characteristics and quality of gluten-free cookies

Proteins are essential nutrients in the diet, with the recommended amount of daily protein consumption varying for people with different health status and activity level. Cookies could be an adequate carrier of proteins because of their great acceptability. The aim of this study was to analyse the effect of flour substitution with different types of protein (pea, potato, egg white and whey) in gluten-free cookies. Hydration properties, dough rheology, cookie characteristics (protein content, dimensions, texture) and sensory acceptability were studied. The hydration properties of mixtures with protein were lower than the control, with the exception of pea protein. As for results from rheological analysis, G′ and G″ values for pea and potato protein were similar to the control, while egg white and whey protein had lower values. Addition of egg white and whey protein respectively, produced harder and wider cookies. The addition of potato protein yielded cookies with darker edges, however, pea protein did not lead to any significant change in cookie parameters. Sensory evaluation showed that the addition of pea protein produced cookies with the same scores as the control sample, signifying that cookies with added pea protein had the best acceptability.