If you have ever been to a Brazilian birthday party you know what I am talking about. It is a must for any birthday party in Brazil or with Brazilian host, from children to adults. They look like chocolate truffles and taste amazing! And the best part: you can do it by yourself and twist flavors to your taste! Basic ingredients: only two!
On all countries I have lived, my friends were so surprised and amazed by how tasty they are! I even had a very good American friend who asked me to teach her and made a business of brigadeiros in Shanghai!
In addition to being part of any party, as decoration and dessert, it can be a great gift in a stylish box or just a delicious treat to dive in with a spoon while you watch a movie! I love how cute they look like in this box designed by a friend of mine:
What I also love about brigadeiros is that although they have been part of my life since my first birthday, they also evolved with time and people got very creative about the mix of flavors, coatings, vegan options, etc. As I love cooking I also have given some shots on new recipes and honestly you can never go wrong with brigadeiros!
So let’s get to it!
1. The basic ingredients for the mixture are:
- 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
- 1/4 can of milk (optional - I like adding it to make it a bit softer and less sweet)
- 2 soup spoons of 100% cocoa powder (I do not recommend using any chocolate powder mix as the condensed milk already has enough sugar)
2. What else?
- Coating (the traditional is using dark or milk chocolate sprinkles or chocolate flakes – the better your chocolate, the better the taste – I recommend Belgian chocolate). Other options: praline, pistachio, shredded coconut, etc.
- Truffle liners (you will want to coordinate it with your decoration).
3. Directions:
Place a nonstick saucepan in medium-low heat and add the condensed milk, the milk and cocoa powder. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon, making sure to incorporate well all cocoa powder to the mix. Cook for about 10-15 minutes stirring without a break. The right consistency is a thick and glossy mixture. You know when is ready when you lean the pan and see the whole mixture move together and pulls always form the bottom of the pan. Pour the mixture into a shallow plate. Let it cool before you start working on it.
When mixture is cool, take a bowl with some water and ice cubes, pass it on to your hands (some people do it with butter, but I prefer ice) to prevent the mixture from sticking to your hands. Using a teaspoon, scoop the mixture and roll into a ball. Move the ball to another shallow plate with coating well spread on it, roll it until all sides are covered with coating.
Place the ball in the liner and repeat it until mixture is finished.
4. Servings:
If you use teaspoon, you will have about 25 brigadeiros for 1 recipe.
5. Bonus recipe (for the Themomix crowd):
I can't tell you how happy I was when I found out I could cook brigadeiros with Thermomix! It's so easy and it became my ultimate brigadeiro secret:
- Add all ingredients from step 1;
- Set Thermomix at 120°C (248°F) or Varoma (for older models) for 12 minutes (10 min if you did not add milk) speed 4;
- Once done remove immedially to a large plate and let it cool. Then make the balls and cover as described in Directions.
- Don't tell anyone how easy it was :)
6. Storage:
If you are preparing them for a party, you can prepare 2 or 3 days in advance. Just make sure to cover them with plastic film or keep it in a closed container until the day of your party. Do not worry if they dry up a bit outside. They will remain soft inside for few days and that’s how we can keep eating it even after party is over!
7. Decoration:
Display brigadeiros on a nice plate, cake stand or on a tray. Stick the toppers to your brigadeiros and arrange them on your birthday party table to match your decoration. Check out some ideas on how to use
toppers for decoration and different party themes.
Make sure you get to eat some of them before they are all gone! That’s literally what happens every time I make them, they disappear as soon as it is cake or dessert time!
- Cheers, Fe from the Pooka Party team
