Production and Quality of Biscuits from Composite Flours

Biscuits were produced from bambara nut, cowpea and wheat flour blends. This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of varying the proportions of these flours on the nutritional quality and general acceptability of the biscuits. Five blends of composite flours were prepared by mixing wheat, bambara nut and cowpea (WBC) flours in the proportions: T₁ (90:5:5), T₂ (80:10:10), T₃ (70:15:15), T₄ (60:20:20), T₅ (50:25:25) and 100% whole wheat flour was used as the control (T₀). Composite flours produced were subjected to functional and proximate analysis while the biscuits made from the flour blends were also subjected to sensory evaluation and proximate analysis. The use of composite flour for the production of biscuits from cowpea and bambara nut flours as supplement for the wheat flour has improved the nutritional contents of the biscuits with protein value being highest at mixing ratio T₅. The functional properties of the biscuits showed some significant differences (p < 0.05) when compared with whole wheat biscuits. The results showed that biscuits produced from T₅ formulation with proximate composition of 11.87% moisture, 2.90% ash, 18.61% protein and 75.62% carbohydrate was selected as the best product.