Abstract:

Cherry laurel (Laurocerasus officinalis Roem.) is a highly nutritious fruit and can be consumed in both fresh and processed form. Due to its phenolic compounds, cherry laurel demonstrates antioxidant activity and may therefore be evaluated as an ingredient to obtain a functional food. This study was performed to investigate the possible usage of dried cherry laurel fruit in the production of cakes and cookies, and to develop a novel formulation of these products. Cakes (0, 10, 20, 40%) and cookies (0, 5, 10, 20%) were incorporated with a coarse milled form of dried cherry laurel, and the quality of the baked products was evaluated by determining the color, texture, sensory properties, total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity. All of the color values (L*, a*, b*) were significantly (p<0.05) affected by the level of fruit. Fruit level also had a significant (p<0.05) effect on the total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity, and these values were found to be increased with increasing fruit levels. It was observed that the increase in cherry laurel addition resulted in firmer cakes, but softer cookies. In addition, a decrease was observed in the springiness values of 40% fruit-containing cakes as compared to the control sample. Sensory evaluation of the products showed satisfactory results. Products containing higher levels of fruit were generally the most preferred by the panelists.

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