Abstract:
The consumption of cereal snack food such as biscuits, cookies and shortbread has become very popular
in Sri Lanka especially among children because of their variety in taste, crispiness, and digestibility.
Composite flours have higher nutritional quality and would be ideal for making nutritious cookies. A
study was conducted to evaluate the quality characteristics of biscuits made from finger millet (Eleusine
coracana), kohila (Lasia spinosa), and wheat (Triticum aestivum) flour. Various composite blends of
wheat, finger millet, and Kohila flours were mixed in the following ratios: 100: 00: 00, 80: 10: 10, 50:
10: 40, 50: 40: 10, and 20: 40: 40 with 1 g of garlic powder in all treatments. The diameter and
spreading ratio of the biscuits expanded from 5.90 – 5.95 cm and 14.51-15.59, respectively, while the
thickness decreased (4.07 -3.80) as the composite finger millet and Kohila flour increased. Chemical
parameters such as protein (4.25 % -5.76 %) and ash (0.66 % -0.83 %) increased, while fat (8.74 % -
7.25 %) and moisture content (2.58 % - 1.88 %) decreased significantly (p < 0.05) with the addition of
composite finger millet and Kohila flour to the biscuits. When compared to other treatments, the biscuits
supplemented with 50 g wheat flour, 40 g finger millet, and 10 g Kohila (T4) were well acceptable in
terms of color, texture, taste, flavor, and overall acceptability. As a result, T4 with a combination of
50g wheat flour, 40g crabgrass and 10g Kohila enriched with 1g garlic powder was successful in
formulating composite biscuits with improved nutritional and organoleptic properties.
