The brigadeiro are delicious Brazilian sweets made with 3 ingredients. They are easy to make and reminiscent of our chocolate truffles, ideal as an after-meal treat accompanied by a small glass of liqueur. In Brazil, they are very popular, served during birthdays and weddings but made all year long in many variations. If you want to prepare a buffet, I recommend pairing them with tiramisu truffles, two completely different sweets that will satisfy the taste of all your guests.
Condensed milk, cocoa, and a small amount of butter are the ingredients of the original brigadeiros recipe, although some versions use chocolate or cream; in fact, I decided to add dark chocolate to make them even more delicious.
This delightful bonbon was created in 1946 in honor of Brigadier Eduardo Gomes, one of the candidates in the presidential election campaign. Gomes lost the election, but the sweet created especially for him became famous throughout the country and is still made for every occasion.
Before proceeding with the recipe, here are some chocolate-based ideas:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 10
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Brazilian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 87.49 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 12.75 (g) of which sugars 11.17 (g)
- Proteins 2.05 (g)
- Fat 3.90 (g) of which saturated 2.48 (g)of which unsaturated 1.30 (g)
- Fibers 0.97 (g)
- Sodium 22.88 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 20 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 6 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 0.7 oz unsweetened cocoa powder (of excellent quality)
- 0.9 oz 60% dark chocolate
- 0.35 oz butter
- to taste chocolate sprinkles (for decoration)
Tools
- 1 Saucepan with thick base
- 1 Hand whisk
- 1 Small bowl
Procedure
Place the butter in the saucepan and let it melt; the butter prevents the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Add the condensed milk and sifted cocoa, stir everything with a whisk and bring to a boil, then add the chopped dark chocolate and mix. Cook the mixture over low heat for 5 or 6 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
The brigadeiro mixture is ready when it starts to thicken and detaches from the sides of the pot.
At this point, pour it into a small bowl and cover it with cling film in contact.
Let it cool at room temperature, then place it in the fridge for 1 hour.
P.S. If you have time, you can prepare the mixture the night before and leave it in the fridge overnight; the next day, you will only need to prepare the sweets and serve them.
After the rest time, you will notice that the mixture has become a compact block; it’s time to form the truffles.
Butter your hands and take a teaspoon of the mixture (you can weigh it if you prefer, there will be 10/11 bonbons of 0.7 oz each) roll it between the palms of your hands and dunk it into the chocolate sprinkles.
P.S. Chocolate sprinkles are the traditional decoration for brigadeiro, but you can decorate them with shredded coconut, colored sugar sprinkles, or chopped nuts.
The brigadeiro are ready; let them rest in the fridge for 20 minutes before serving.
Advice
How long do brigadeiros last?
You can store them in the fridge, covered with cling film for 5/7 days.
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