It is said that the recipe for brigadeiros was invented in the 1940s and that these chocolate sweets were named in honor of the “brigadeiro” Eduardo Gomes, a very famous political and military man in Brazil.
The brigadier was a handsome man, with a striking physique, very charming and single.
With the slogan “Vote for the Brigadier who is handsome and single”, the 1946 presidential candidate gained good success among women.
A group of them living in the Pacaembu neighborhood, in the city of São Paulo, organized several parties to support his candidacy.
The story goes that on one of these occasions they created a dessert that mixed condensed milk, chocolate, and butter and named it “Brigadeiro” in his honor (created by Heloisa Nabuco de Oliveira, a pastry chef of Carioca origin).
Brigadeiros are probably the most famous sweets in Brazil, and pastry shops and bars serve them in many variations.
The basic recipe is the one with chocolate, but here I also describe the one with “castanha” or cashew, the fruit of the caju, a plant native to Brazil.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 10 Minutes
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 8 sweets
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Brazilian
Ingredients
- 7 oz Condensed milk
- 3 tbsps Unsweetened cocoa powder or ground cashews
- 2 tbsps Butter
- 2.5 oz Chocolate sprinkles or ground cashews (For decoration)
Preparation
In a saucepan, put the condensed milk, cocoa, or ground cashews, and butter. Mix the ingredients well over low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and detaches from the pan (about 10 minutes).
Remove the saucepan from the heat, place the mixture on a buttered plate, and let it cool.
Form balls and garnish with chocolate sprinkles or the rest of the ground cashews.
Place them in paper cups.
What is Caju?
Brigadeiros com castanha should not be confused with “Cajuzinho“, a diminutive of “caju”, meaning little cashew, which is made with peanuts and whose recipe is completely different.
The term “caju” comes from “acaiu”, meaning “nut that reproduces”.
It consists of two parts, the actual fruit and its pseudofruit which is the part sold as a dried fruit but can also be eaten raw.
The main body is very delicate and should be purchased fresh without bruises on the skin.
Its pulp is used to make juices, sweets, candied fruit, ice creams, liqueurs, syrups, and vinegar.
The “little nut”, known as cashew or by its international name “cashew nut”, is mainly used as a snack, but from it, you can get excellent edible oil and flour.
Even the cashew shell finds its use: very hard and full of viscous oil, it is transformed and used as a raw material for the industry.
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Craving chocolate? Try: Pan di Stelle Cacao Spread, Hazelnuts and Biscuit Granules
Craving chocolate? Try: Pan di Stelle Cacao Spread, Hazelnuts and Biscuit Granules
