Effect of fat and sugar replacement on cookie properties

Fat mimetics, namely Raftiline, Simplesse, C*deLight and polydextrose, diluted in water to give a gel with 200 g kg(-1) concentration, were used for partial fat replacement and polyols, namely lactitol, sorbitol and maltitol, for sugar replacement in low-fat, sugar-free cookies. Raftiline, Simplesse or C*deLight combined with lactitol or sorbitol in 35% fat-reduced, sugar-free cookies resulted in products with hardness and brittleness comparable to those of the control. Polydextrose as fat mimetic and maltitol as sugar substitute resulted in very hard and brittle products. Further fat replacement to 50% was achieved using Raftiline, Simplesse or C*deLight combined with a blend of lactitol and sorbitol; however, the final products were hard, brittle and did not expand properly after baking. Cookies prepared with Simplesse had the least acceptable flavour, while cookies prepared with C*deLight were rated as the most acceptable by a sensory panel. The textural properties were improved by either decreasing the amount of alternative sweetener or increasing the concentration of fat mimetic in the gel which was added to the cookies. All fat-reduced, sugar-free cookies prepared in this study had higher values of moisture content and water activity than the control, but these values were below the upper limit that affects cookie shelf-life. (C) 2002 Society of Chemical Industry.