Effect of Partial Wheat Flour Replacement with Banana (Musa (ABB) 'Namwa Mali-ong) Flour on the Physicochemical and Sensory Quality of a Thai Shortbread Cookie (Khanom Ping)

Abstract

This study aimed to develop Thai Shortbread Cookie (Khanom Ping) by partially substituting wheat flour with banana flour derived from Musa (ABB) 'Namwa Mali-ong, and to investigate the effects on product quality. Banana flour was prepared from fruits at different ripening stages. Subsequently, wheat flour was replaced with banana flour at substitution levels ranging from 0 to 100%. The results indicated that banana flour produced from barely ripe bananas provided superior color and flavor quality compared to unripe stages. The optimal base formulation, consisting of a cassava starch to wheat flour ratio of 75:25, exhibited characteristics similar to traditional Khanom Ping from Nakhon Pathom province. Increasing the proportion of banana flour resulted in decreased expansion, increased hardness, reduced lightness (L*), and increased redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) values. In terms of nutritional composition, protein content decreased, while ash and carbohydrate contents increased with higher levels of banana flour substitution. Sensory evaluation revealed that the formulation containing 25% banana flour substitution received the highest overall acceptability from consumers. Therefore, banana flour derived from Namwa bananas can be effectively used as a partial substitute for wheat flour in the production Khanom Ping.