The basic recipe for the biscuit dough (based on 100 g of flour) was 28.3 g sugar (passing through a screen with 220 mm openings, Hellenic Sugar Industry S.A.), 12.5 g water, 35.3 g vegetable fat (nea fytini, Elais-Uniliver, Greece), 1.1 g salt and 1.3 g sodium bicarbon-ate. Sugar, water, vegetable fat, salt and sodium bicarbonate were creamed in a Hobart mixer (Hobart N50, Hobart Co., Troy, OH, USA) with a flat beater for 3 min at 475 rpm.