Quality Characteristics of Cookies Added with Maple Sugar

This study investigated the sensory characteristics of cookies made with maple sugar. The cookie samples were prepared using various ratios of maple sugar (0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, 100%). As the proportion of maple sugar increased, the moisture content, spread factor, Hunter's color a and b of cookies increased while °Brix, pH, Hunter's color L and hardness of cookies decreased. Attribute difference test results by 27 trained panels showed that the brownness, cell size, and roughness of appearance increased with increasing amounts of maple sugar. The caramel, maple syrup, vanilla, nuts, brunt odor and nutty and maple syrup taste became stronger as the percentage of maple sugar increased. The most percentage of maple sugar, the chewiness, moistness and fracturability of texture and after taste and residue of after taste showed the highest score. The sensory acceptance test with 52 consumers resulted that MC100 showed the highest score in odor and taste but the appearance, texture and overall acceptance scores were the lowest. The results of the overall acceptance showed that MC60 was the most preferred. And this result confirmed that consumers prefer cookie samples made by mixing sugar and maple sugar rather than white sugar 100% (CON) and maple sugar 100% (MC100). This study is meaningful in the possibility of replacement and sensory characteristics of cookies made with different maple sugar contents.