Gluten-free baking is always a challenge for me and I’m fairly positive I’ll never be able to replace the gooey chocolate chip cookies of years past.  That being said, I’ve made a commitment to using freshly ground grains in my flour mixes and never to use guar gum or xanthan gum.  It’s funny, but I just don’t trust any ingredients that start with an “x” or have the name gum in them.  Haha! Gluten-free baking is attainable for the home baker but does take some trial and error before coming up with the perfect combination for you.  I’m thrilled to be a part of the movement to take back our food system and no longer stand for the “new” wheat of this century. Today we’re sharing our recipe for homemade, gluten-free Autumn Amaranth Cookie Bars.  These bars are delicious, wheat-free, xanthan gum free and guar gum free.  YAY!  They’re made with freshly ground amaranth flour, oat flour and just a touch of tapioca starch.  

What’s the deal with xanthan gum anyway?

Xanthan gum is made using carbohydrates from corn, wheat, dairy, or soy.  I’m not a fan of not knowing exactly where an ingredient comes from. 

According to Chris Kesser, of ChrisKesser.com, “Xanthan gum is a largely indigestible polysaccharide that is produced by bacteria called Xanthomonas Camestris. (1) Manufacturers place the bacteria in a growth medium that contains sugars and other nutrients, and the resulting product of bacterial fermentation is purified, dried, powdered, and sold as xanthan gum.” Read more about Chris’ information on xanthan gum here: 

• Approved as a food additive in 1968 
• Mainly used as an emulsifier
• Starts as a bacteria, converts to a slimy, fermented, gooey substance, then is dried up and ground into a white powder.
• Xanthan gum can be derived from corn, soy, wheat or dairy – all of which can be GMO based.

What’s the deal with Guar Gum?

• Guar gum is actually derived from the guar gum bean – who knew, an actual food.  
• Has shown promise in reducing blood glucose and LDL Cholesterol.  Keep in mind, that’s at high doses, not what’s in your gluten-free cookie.
• Has been known to cause abdominal discomfort.  

Sources:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9763683

http://www.naturalnews.com/044132_xanthan_gum_mutated_corn_sugar_bacteria.html#

http://chriskresser.com/harmful-or-harmless-guar-gum-locust-bean-gum-and-more