brigadeiros

as the days get shorter and it gets darker earlier, one of my friends starts to get depressed that winter is on its way. she longs for her native hot brazil where the sun is always shining and there is no snow.

because my friend has a sweet tooth like i do, i decided to try to cheer her up and made her these sweets she always talks about called brigadeiros.

these truffle-shaped balls covered in jimmies are quite popular in brazil and show up often at all kinds of celebrations. they are made from the much loved sweetened condensed milk, with the addition of butter and cocoa.

a very easy recipe to make, they are quite sweet and as colourful as you decide to make them depending on the decorations you choose. these confections have the consistency of a fondant and are chewy. do not expect fudge as we know it [in north america] though they are described that way sometimes. to read about the history of this world war II sweet, look here.

i blundered in that when i made them this time around, i added the cocoa without sifting first as i usually do. do not make this same mistake or you may end up with a granular brigadeiro. mine turned out fine, thankfully. that's what happens when you are doing too many things at once.

the following recipe is as i learned it from my friends. here are some others to look at and/or try: option 1, option 2, or option 3.

brigadeiros

ingredients:

1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 - 4 tbsp cocoa [i used a mixture of valrhona & ghirardelli]
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp finely ground instant coffee [optional]
different coloured "jimmies"

small paper confection cups

method:

in a pot over medium heat, add all the ingredients and mix well.


keep stirring, without leaving the stove for the next 15 to 20 minutes.

the mixture will come together and will eventually start to darken and bubble.

after a little while, the mixture will thicken considerably and start to leave the bottom and sides of the pan.

once this happens, place the mixture onto a buttered dish to cool.

when the mixture is cool enough to handle, use a spoon to break off pieces.

roll these into balls. in another dish filled with your jimmies, roll them well into the jimmies. some will stick better than others. it is a matter of experimentation. i find the little balls stick better than the longer chocolate ones.

place these in small confection papers and refrigerate. let them come to room temperature as they will harden in the fridge. remember these are chewy candies much like fondant.

makes about 20.

hopefully, these little surprises will send my friend's "blues" away!