I'm trying to make cookie bars, and have tried alot of flours. I've tried garbanzo bean, which gives it a good taste, but comes out heavy, and not very spreadable. Oat flour doesn't rise very well. Didn't like the taste Quinoa flour gave, and almond flour wasn't heavy enough. What to do, what to do! Also, when I use these flours, should I add xanthan gum?

I'd love to start a business, but am trying my hand first at baking these, I'm not a pastry chef. In the past, scratch to me was out of a box of Duncan Hines! I'd love to find a baking class, but the local community colleges are always filled up before I can sign up for them.

Any help would be extremely appreciated.

I've used Bob"s Red Mill gluten free flour for baking. It says all that on the label. It actually has a combination of flours, a little garbanzo, a little potato, etc. I made cupcakes for an autistic child who was on a gluten free, casin free diet. I did not add xanthan gum, cause the biggest complaint I heard about gluten free baked products is that they are too gummy. The flour has a good combo and didn't seem to need it. I was told they were some of the best gluten free cupcakes they had.

We do lots of gluten-free baking and we use our own mix, containing rice flour, sorghum flour, tapioca starch, and xanthan gum. Adding garbanzo bean flour to this mix would probably work well for the cookie bars.

I've had great luck with these 2 all purpose GF blends. They are pricier than others, but they do not have the bean aftertaste you get from any of the bean flours. They also substitute 1:1 in most recipes with good results. I have celiac disease and I only bake gluten free.

http://betterbatter.org/
http://glutenfreeflour.com/