Daily Bread

You will need:
3 1/4 cups gluten free flour blend
1/4 cup flax meal
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon yeast
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

3 eggs

1 ¼ cup milk or water (heated to about 115^oF)

¼ cup oil

1 teaspoon vinegar

Preheat oven to 170^oF.

Place all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl (flour, flax meal, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, yeast, and xanthan gum.  

Add eggs, warm milk (or water), oil, and vinegar to mixing bowl.

Mix on low speed with paddle attachment just to combine.  Scrape bowl.

Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes.

Notice how the texture looks much more smooth--almost like a cake batter.

Grease two 8x4” bread pans.  Divide batter evenly between the two pans.

Wet your hands and smooth out the top of the dough. 

Turn oven off.  Place bread in oven and allow to rise for 40 minutes.

Remove bread from oven and preheat to 350^oF.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until top is a nice light brown color.

Remove from pans and cool on wire rack completely before cutting.

Yield: 2-8x4” loaves

You can also use this same mix to create rolls or hamburger buns.  For rolls, scoop the dough into greased muffin tins and smooth the tops with wet hands.  The muffin tins should be no more than half-full with dough--too much and they will escape all over (and yes, I do know this from experience)!  ;o)  For hamburger buns, grease 4-inch round cake pans and fill them half full of dough as well.  Smooth out the tops like you did for the rolls or bread with wet hands.  While the tops are wet you can sprinkle them with sesame seeds if desired.  Allow to rise like the bread and bake.  (You will need to adjust the baking time for rolls or buns--start with 10 minutes and check them for the rolls, the hamburger buns can be checked after about 15 minutes.  Oven times vary quite a bit so yours may need a little longer or a little less time.)  Here are pictures of my hamburger buns:

  

So Why the Name "Daily Bread"?

Bread is a part of our everyday lives--what is lunch without a sandwich, a spaghetti dinner without garlic bread, or the old standby for everyone--pizza on Friday night?  Yet for those of us with celiac disease, gluten intolerance, or a wheat sensitivity, bread is taboo and seems completely out of reach.  Wonderful tasting gluten free bread (and almost exactly like gluten-filled bread) is possible AND easy.  More importantly though, God promises to provide for our needs.  This is seen in Scripture as "providing for our daily bread."

God provided for the Israelites during their wandering in the desert.  He supernaturally provided bread (manna) from heaven for them to eat.

"Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day....'"  Exodus 16:4
"Yet He commanded the skies above and opened the doors of heaven, and He rained down on them manna to eat and gave them the grain of heaven.  Man ate of the bread of angels; He sent them food in abundance."  Psalm 78:23-25

If God can supernaturally provide bread from heaven for the Israelites, then He can certainly provide bread/food for us to eat today.  I need to remember to trust Him for each of my daily needs--food, clothing or anything else and not worry.

"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on.  Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?  And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?"  Matthew 6:25-27

Another thing that "daily bread" can remind us of is the fact that we need to be in God's Word, our true daily "food."  It is only through God's Word that we can truly be sustained spiritually for the work of each day that the Lord has called us to do.

"...man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that come from the mouth of the Lord."  Deuteronomy 8:3b
"How can a young man keep his way pure?  By guarding it according to Your word.  With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!  I have stored up Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You."  Psalm 119:9-11

So, as you eat your "daily bread" in whatever form that may be, remember to seek the Lord and the wisdom found in His Word each day as well.

Gluten Free Flour

Different Kinds of Gluten Free Flour

Amaranth

Amaranth tastes slightly sweet and nutty. It is a cream-colored flour, ground from the seed of the ancient amaranth plant. It has a high moisture content, browns quickly and forms thick crusts. Amaranth works well in recipes that do not contain large amounts of liquids. Use amaranth flour as a portion (up to 25%) of total flour ratio in all purpose gluten free flour mixes and recipes for bread, pancakes, muffins, cookies and pizza dough. Amaranth is also an excellent thickener for roux, sauces and gravies.  

Buckwheat

Buckwheat is a strong, earthy-flavored flour, available in light and dark varieties. Use light-colored flour for best results in gluten free recipes. Despite its' name, buckwheat does not contain wheat- it's a relative of the rhubarb family.  Buckwheat flour adds protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals to gluten free recipes and can be used to make delicious pancakes.   

Corn Flour/Masa Harina

Corn flour/masa harina has a light corn flavor and is the main ingredient in corn tortillas and tamale dough. Masa harina, or dough flour is corn flour milled from whole corn soaked in limewater (water and calcium oxide). It has a unique, delicious flavor. Corn flour can be used to replace a portion of cornmeal in most recipes for a lighter, less crumbly texture.

Cornmeal 

Cornmeal has a sweet flavor and crunchy texture. It is available in white, yellow and blue varieties. Blue cornmeal is especially high in antioxidants. Cornmeal is used to make cornbread, corn pancakes (Johnny Cakes), muffins, polenta, and is a good breading ingredient for fried foods. Look for "stoneground" products which are more nutritious than steel milled meals.

Millet

This tiny grain is thought to be the oldest grain consumed by humans. Millet is an important source of easily digestible protein, vitamins and minerals for millions of people in Africa, Asia and India. Fresh ground millet looks like yellow cornmeal and adds a light, sweet flavor and somewhat crumbly texture to baked goods.  Add small amounts of millet flour to gluten free baking recipes to improve nutritional quality.

Oats--Certified Gluten Free ONLY!!! 

Oats, with nutty taste and chewy texture, add protein, soluble fiber, vitamins and minerals to gluten free recipes. Use gluten free oats and oat flour in bread, pancake, muffin, cookie, cake, and granola.
NOTE: The use of oats in gluten free diets is controversial. Cross-contamination with gluten is common in traditional oat products. The Gluten Intolerance Group®, the Celiac Disease Foundation and the Canadian Celiac Association approve the use of moderate amounts of "Certified Gluten Free Oats" but the Celiac Sprue Association recommends that oats be avoided. If you plan to use certified gluten free oats, start by using small quantities to make sure that you can tolerant them.    

Quinoa (keen-wah) 

Quinoa is a high-quality source of protein. This ancient grain was a major food source for the Inca civilization thousands of years ago. Quinoa is available as a whole seed, flakes and flour. The seed can be used to replace rice and barley in pilaf, couscous and soup recipes. Quinoa flakes can be used as a substitute for rolled oats. Quinoa flour has a somewhat strong, bitter flavor, can be used in small amounts in gluten free mixes and baking recipes to improve nutritional quality. Prior to cooking, whole seed quinoa should be thoroughly rinsed in cold water to remove bitter "saponins", a natural coating found on quinoa seed.  

Rice

White rice flour and sweet rice flour add lightness and texture to gluten free baked goods. Brown rice and wild rice flours add fiber and nutritional quality. Wild rice flour is a light brown, flecked flour with a pleasant, nutty flavor. White and brown rice flours are neutral-flavored, are somewhat gritty and make dry, crumbly baked goods. Use rice flours in combination with other gluten free flours for better texture and nutritional quality. Sweet rice flour, sometimes called “glutinous” rice, doesn’t contain gluten. It has a unique, gelatinous quality. Add sweet rice flour in small amouts to improve the texture and ‘chew’ of gluten free baked goods, as a thickener in sauce recipes and to dust baking pans to prevent sticking.

Sorghum 

Sorghum, also known as Jowar or milo, is growing in popularity in gluten free cooking. It's a high protein, cream-colored, smooth flour with a wheat-like taste. Sorghum doesn't have the gritty texture found in brown rice flour or the heavy bean-flavor of garfava or garbanzo bean flours. Use this nutritious gluten free flour as a portion- up to 25% of the total flour ratio, in all purpose gluten free flour mixes and bread, muffin, cookie, pancake and pizza dough recipes.

Teff

Teff is an ancient seed grain that has been an important food source in Ethiopia for thousands of years. Teff is high in protein and has a nutty, sweet flavor. It is available in white, tan and brown varieties. Whole grain teff can be used alone, or combined with millet or rice in pilaf recipes. It can also be served as a hot, nutritious breakfast cereal. Add teff flour in small amounts to gluten free bread, muffin, cookie, pancake, pizza crust and cracker recipes to improve nutritional quality. Teff flour can also be used as a thickener in soups, stews and gravies.

 Garbanzo Bean Flour

Garbanzo (chickpea) bean flour is a high protein/fiber flour that adds moisture, good texture and nutritional quality to gluten free recipes. Garbanzo bean flour is also blended with fava bean flour to make "garfava" bean flour. These products can be used interchangeably in flour mixes and recipes. Bean flours are creamy-colored and have a sweet, bean flavor. Some manufacturers heat-treat bean flour during processing to make the flour more digestible, but some people do experience digestive distress when using bean flours. Use bean flours as a portion- about 25% of total flour ratio in all purpose gluten free flour mixes and recipes. Bean flours can also be used to replace brown rice in gluten free recipes.

Soy Flour 

Soy flour is naturally high in protein and fats but it is available as a processed, low-fat defatted product. It is pale yellow and has a somewhat beany, strong flavor. It adds moisture and texture to baked goods and browns quickly. Soy is listed in the top eight food allergens, along with milk, eggs, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish. Amaranth or sorghum flours work well as a substitute for soy flour in most recipes.

 Almond Meal/Flour

Almond meal is made by grinding blanched (dark skin removed) almonds. It's a high fiber, high fat flour that adds moisture, flavor, texture and nutritional value to gluten free baked goods. Nut flours- including almond, pecan or hazelnut also make delicious coatings for chicken, fish or vegetables. Nut flours can also be used to replace powdered milk in most recipes, making them a useful, dairy-free alternative ingredient.

Coconut Flour

Coconut flour can be used in small quantities in gluten free recipes to increase fiber content. It is almost 60% fiber, is high in fats and lower in carbohydrates than other GF flours. Coconut flour works best in recipes that include eggs and has a short shelf life. Refrigerate baked goods made with coconut flour to prevent spoilage.  Gives baked goods an incomparably rich texture and a unique, natural sweetness. 

Chestnut Flour

Chestnut flour is a light tan-colored flour made from ground whole chestnuts. It adds sweetness, moisture and texture to baked goods. Chestnut is traditionally used in rich Italian and French pastries.

Arrowroot 

Arrowroot is a powdery white starch ground from the root of the tropical herb Maranta. It is an excellent thickener in sauces, adds body and texture to gluten free backed goods and works well as a batter coating or breading for chicken, fish and vegetables. It can be used in place of cornstarch in recipes.

Potato Flour

Potato flour, not to be confused with potato starch is ground from whole potatoes. It is cream-colored flour with a potato flavor. It is a moist, heavy flour- use it in small quantities in flour mixes and recipes for gluten free breads.

Potato Starch 

Potato flour is a refined starch used to add moisture and texture in gluten free baked goods. Like other starches- including cornstarch, arrowroot and tapioca, potato is high in refined carbohydrates and low in fiber and nutrients. Use in all purpose gluten free flour mixes and recipes for light, fine-textured baked goods.  Produces a tender, moist crumb. 

Tapioca Starch

Tapioca starch is ground from the root of the tropical cassava plant. It's used extensively in commercial gluten free products and recipes. It is a flavorless, high carbohydrate starch and, like other starches used in gluten free cooking, it is very low in nutrients. Use it as a portion- up to 50% of total flour ratio, in all purpose flour mixes and recipes to lighten the texture of baked goods. It is also used in batter coatings and breading recipes for crisp, golden crusts.

Xanthan Gum

Xanthan gum is a corn-based, fermented product. It is used extensively in the food industry to make products thicker and it's a common ingredient in gluten free recipes.

If you use too much xanthan gum in a recipe you may notice a heavy, gummy or even "slimmy" texture in your baked goods- so measure carefully when using xanthan gum.

Guar Gum
Guar gum comes from the seed of bean-like (legume) plant, sometimes referred to as the Indian tree. It is high in soluble fiber. Like xanthan gum, measure carefully when using guar gum in gluten free recipes or you may end up with heavy, stringy baked goods.

Some Basic Gluten Free Flour Recipes


Sorghum Flour Blend

185 grams (1 1/2 cups) sorghum flour

250 grams (1 1/2 cups) potato starch (NOT potato flour)

113 grams (1 cup) tapioca starch (sometimes called tapioca flour--same thing)

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

Combine all together.  One of the easiest ways to do this is to put it in a bowl with a lid and just shake.  If you have kids you can have them shake the bowl for you (Hey, why not save yourself some work and entertain them at the same time--they'll love it!!!)  :o)  This is the first blend of flour that I used extensively.    


Gluten Free Flour Blend #1
1 cup white rice flour
1 cup oat flour
1 cup coconut flour
1 cup tapioca flour/starch
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum


Gluten Free Flour Blend #2
3 cups sorghum flour
3 cups superfine brown rice flour
1 1/2 cups potato starch
1 1/2 cups arrowroot powder 

The following flour blends are from the magazine "Gluten Free and More."

All-Purpose Flour Blend
1 1/2 cups white or brown rice flour (or combination)
3/4 cup tapioca starch/flour
3/4 cup cornstarch or potato starch

High-Fiber Flour Blend
1 cup brown rice flour or sorghum flour
1/2 cup teff flour (preferably light)
1/2 cup millet flour or amaranth flour
2/3 cup tapioca starch/flour
1/3 cup cornstarch or potato starch

High-Protein Flour Blend
1 cup white or brown rice flour (or combination)
3/4 cup bean flour or chickpea flour
3/4 cup arrowroot starch, cornstarch, or potato starch
1/2 cup tapioca starch/flour

Self-Rising Flour Blend
1 1/4 cups sorghum flour
1 cup white or brown rice flour (or combination)
3/4 cup tapioca starch/flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Peppermint Muddy Buddies

Peppermint and chocolate--you can't go wrong with that wonderful combination!  And this is a super easy gluten and dairy free version of the popular recipe.

Peppermint Muddy Buddies
12 ounce box of rice or corn square cereal (Chex or any other brand)
2-12 ounce bags of chocolate chips
1/4 cup oil
3 1/2 cups crushed candy canes (more or less to taste)
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa

Place the chex cereal in a large bowl.  If you have a large bowl with a lid that is the best but not necessary.

Place the chocolate chips in a glass or microwave-safe bowl.  Add 1/4 cup oil to bowl with chocolate chips.  Microwave on low power until chocolate chips are completely melted, stirring every couple minutes.

Pour melted chocolate chips over chex cereal and stir to completely coat the cereal in chocolate.  Add crushed candy canes and mix together.

Pour powdered sugar and cocoa on top of the chex mixture.  Stir mixture slightly and then cover with the lid and shake to completely coat the chocolate in the powdered sugar mixture.  You can also place this in a large bag and shake too if you don't have a lid for your bowl.  Or, you can just stir together. Any of these methods work well but the bowl with the lid is (or should be) the least messy of the options.  :o)

Pour the cereal out onto parchment or wax paper-lined cookie sheets and spread out and allow the chocolate to set.  Once set, place in airtight containers to store.  Enjoy!

Easy Chex Mix

Easy and Delicious Chex Mix--Gluten and Dairy Free

Okay, I know some of you are rolling your eyes and asking why I would put a recipe for chex mix on my blog.....  It dawned on me the other day that some people don't think of simple recipes that could be gluten free with an easy substitute.  I'm going to be posting a few such recipes in the next several blog posts.  I changed the recipe slightly so you don't have to measure the pretzels, chex, or nuts--just dump the whole box, container, or bag in.  

Chex Mix
Pour the following into a large bowl:
1 box (14 ounces) corn or rice Chex (or any other off-brand type cereal)
1 bag (8 ounces) gluten free pretzels
1 jar (16 ounces) dry roasted peanuts

Melt 9 Tablespoons dairy free "butter" such as Earth Balance spread  (If you can tolerate dairy go ahead and use butter or margarine--it is probably much better for you anyway and is way cheaper!)

Add the following to the butter and stir to combine:
3 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (I used Lea & Perrins which is gluten free)
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon onion powder

Add the butter/seasoning mixture to the chex mixture and gently stir together to combine.  Pour into two large cookie sheets or large pans.  Place in a 250 degree oven and bake for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes.  Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Cut-Out Sugar Cookies!

It is Christmastime and I think it is pretty safe to say that everyone's favorite Christmas cookie (or at least what they think of at Christmastime) is a cut-out and decorated sugar cookie.  Now for a gluten and dairy free version (by very popular demand!!)  :o)

Rolled and Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
2 cups butter or butter substitute, softened (I use Earth Balance dairy free sticks)
1 cup sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
4 cups gluten free flour blend (one that contains xanthan gum)
1 cup almond flour
Additional 1/2 cup-1 cup gluten free flour blend (as or if needed)

• Place butter or butter substitute, sugar, and powdered sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Stir to blend ingredients together and then beat for about 2 minutes at medium speed.  Add vanilla and combine.  Add eggs one at a time and blend well after each addition.  
• Add the 4 cups of gluten free flour, 1 cup almond flour, salt, and baking powder.  Mix just enough to combine the ingredients well.  The dough should be somewhat soft but not gooey.  Add an additional 1/2 cup to 1 cup gluten free flour if necessary to form a nice dough that isn't really sticky.  
• Transfer the dough to an airtight plastic container and place in the refrigerator at least overnight.  You want the dough to be completely chilled--NO shortcuts here or your dough won't roll out.  

Chilled dough

• After your dough is chilled (leave the dough in the refrigerator until the very last minute).  Gather all of your ingredients--cookie sheets, rolling pin, cookie cutters, gluten free flour for dusting...  Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  
• After you have gathered everything you need, now you can bring your dough out of the refrigerator.  Pull out about 1/4 of the dough (it is much easier to work with in small amounts) and place the remaining dough back in the refrigerator.  Roll out your dough on a lightly floured gluten free surface to about 3/8 inch-1/2 inch thickness (you want the dough thicker than with normal sugar cookie dough--this will yield a softer cookie that won't crumble like a lot of other gluten free cookies out there).  Cut out with desired cookie cutters and immediately place on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 8-10 minutes.  The baking time will vary here depending on how thick you rolled out your cookies and the size of your cookie cutters.  Use the times given here as just a guideline--there is nothing worse that burnt sugar cookies!  Remove from pans and allow to cool completely.  You can also bake these on parchment (my preference) but it is not necessary.  
• Take your scraps from your first rolling and another 1/4 of the dough from the refrigerator.  Lightly gather them together and then roll out as before.  Continue until all dough is used.    

Sorry, in my excitement I forgot to take a picture of the baked/unfrosted cookies....  You will have to imagine that picture.  :o)  

Now for the frosting: You can use your favorite frosting recipe or the one that I often use to decorate cakes.  Click here for the recipe.   This particular recipe calls for margarine, but you can either use vegetable shortening or Earth Balance dairy free spread in place of the margarine if you need to be dairy free.  Also, you can use any type of milk substitute for the milk (soy, almond, coconut milk).  You could even use water if you want in place of the milk.  Color the icing as desired and have fun decorating your sugar cookies.  Here are some examples of mine:

  

They don't all have to be super pretty--in my family it is a tradition to cover them with nuts, M & M's, or mini chocolate chips.  I think this started with my Dad because he wanted to get the cookie decorating project over faster (we always decorated Christmas cookies as a family)....but I also think he just wanted an extra dose of candy, chocolate, or nuts with his sugar cookies!!  So, just for my Dad I had to make some with lots of chocolate chips on them: 

Put them on pretty trays and enjoy!!

In all of the hustle and bustle of this busy Christmas season, let's remember the true meaning of why we are celebrating.  Jesus humbled Himself and left all of the glory of heaven to take on human form and be born as a baby in Bethlehem.  He lived a perfect and sinless life and died a cruel death on the cross in our place so that He could give us His perfect righteousness through faith in Him.  God's love for us is so incredible.  We can't earn our way to heaven because we can't do anything good enough so He provided a way through Jesus Christ.  What greater gift could we ask for?  

"And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.'"  Luke 2:10-12

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life.  For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.  Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God."  John 3:14-18

"Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!"  2 Corinthians 9:15

Cake Pops!

(Just a note to my regular readers....some of the candies used or shown aren't gluten AND dairy free.  Be careful and read the labels.  I created these for a workshop at a ladies retreat so not everything had to be gluten free.  Often those of us who are gluten free have to go without "fun" treats so I thought this would be a fun way to create our own.  I hope this blog post will inspire you to create your own by showing you how easy it is to make cake pops that are super cute.  We can have fun, cute, and yummy treats too!!)

You will need:
1 cake mix
Ingredients to make cake
1/3-1/2 cup of pre-made frosting
Lollipop sticks
Almond bark or candy melts
Sprinkles, chocolate chips, nuts, or any other toppings of choice

Bake cake according to package directions.  It doesn't matter what size cake you make but I would recommend doing it in a 9 x 13" pan just so there are fewer "crust" portions on the cake (as opposed to two 8-inch rounds or cupcakes).  Any size cake will work though so don't fret.  Allow cake to cool completely

Cut the cake into chunks (how big or small doesn't really matter--you are just cutting it into pieces so that it is easier to work with).  Here you have two options.  The first is to just crumble the cake up by hand until you have small crumbs.  The second is to put the cake chunks into a stand mixer and let the mixer do all the work for you.  This is my preferred method.  :o)  Either way, mix the cake chunks until they are crumbly and mix in 1/3-1/2 cup of pre-made frosting.  The mixture should come together and make a dough-like consistency.  It should look something like this when it is ready:

Next, break off portions of the "dough" and roll them into balls.  You can just do random sizes or use a melon baller or cookie scoop to do this.  Roll them until they are nice and round.  Continue until all "dough" is used up.

Now it is time for the fun!  Place chopped almond bark (you can use white or chocolate) in a glass or microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave at about 30% power for 3 minute increments.  Stir and return for another 3 minutes at 30% power until thoroughly melted.  DO NOT OVERHEAT!  Overheating chocolate or almond bark will cause it to get thick and hard to work with or worse yet will just cause it to burn.  You should be able to take the bowl out of the microwave without hot pads.  If it is so hot that you can't touch the bowl or the chocolate then you over-heated it.  If you are using candy melts the same melting process applies.  Almond bark is available at your local grocery store (or even Wal-Mart) and Candy Melts are available at a lot of craft-type stores such as JoAnn's, Hobby Lobby, or Michaels.  These same craft stores carry the lollipop sticks as well.

Once your chocolate is melted check the consistency.  You may need to add a little bit of oil (canola or vegetable oil) to the chocolate to thin it out a little bit.  Don't go crazy here but you don't want the chocolate too thick either--if it doesn't seem to be dipping well add more oil.

Dip your lollipop stick just slightly into the chocolate.  Put the lollipop stick into your cake balls--pushing it almost all the way down into the whole ball.  Allow the chocolate on the stick in the cake ball to set slightly before dipping--this helps the cake ball stay on the stick when you dip it into the chocolate.  Once the chocolate is set slightly, dip the cake ball completely into the melted chocolate in your bowl.  Place the cake pop into sprinkles if desired or place on parchment paper to set.  Or, you can set the stick in a piece of styrofoam or a cardboard box to create a perfectly round cake pop.