In order to elucidate the effect of sugar composition on the water sorption and softening properties of
cookie, three types of sugar composition (sugar alone, sugar-trehalose, and sugar-sorbitol) were
employed as an ingredient of cookie, and softening temperature (Ts) of the cookie samples, adjusted to
various water contents, was investigated using thermal rheological analysis. Ts decreased linearly with
increasing water content of the cookie samples. At each water content, Ts of samples was higher in the
order of sugar-trehalose > sugar alone > sugar-sorbitol. On the other hand, the glass transition temperature
(Tg) of the sugar and/or sugar alcohol mixtures used for cookie preparation was investigated using
differential scanning calorimetry. A linear relationship was found between anhydrous Ts of the cookie
samples and anhydrous Tg of the sugar and/or sugar alcohol mixtures. These results suggest that sugar
composition plays an important role in the softening properties of cookie samples.
2013 Elsevier Ltd