The Easiest Party Treat: Brigadeiros

Today I am featuring a special guest post by my boy, Jackson! He was given an independent project in his Social Studies class centered on Latin America’s culture. His task is to choose something that he loves about America’s culture and see what that looks like in Latin America. He should step out of his comfort zone and be a bit adventurous so he’s getting in my kitchen and cooking. The opinions expressed here are his…the clean-up, unfortunately is still mine. 

Here he goes…

These chocolate fudge balls from Brazil are so easy to make, even kids can do it. One of my favorite things about our culture in the United States is how we celebrate birthdays. We have a party, unwrap presents, sing “Happy Birthday”, and blow out candles with friends and family. I think the best part of a birthday celebration though, has to be the cake!

Since I love cake so much, I decided to see what a birthday dessert looks like in the Latin American culture.

I learned that along with every birthday cake in Brazil, Brigadeiros are also served.

Brigadeiros are bite-sized fudge balls made with condensed milk, cocoa powder, and butter. They are rolled in chocolate sprinkles. It was created in the 1940s and has been popular ever since.

In 1945, at the end of World War II, Brazil needed a new president. One of the candidates, Eduardo Gomes, was ranked a Brigadier in the military. His most devoted voters organized parties to promote his campaign. They decided to make a candy to be sold during the parties. The problem was that this was right after the war and the country didn’t have enough fresh milk and sugar. So, they decided to use condensed milk and mix it with butter and chocolate. At the time it was known as “ the candy of the Brigadeiro.” The candy was a huge success and was later abbreviated to be called Brigadeiros. Unfortunately, Eduardo Gomes didn’t win the election but at least we got this good candy.

This is my first recipe I am making so, I am definitely out of my comfort zone.  It was pretty easy to make though.

All I needed was:

• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
• 4 tablespoons of cocoa power
• 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• chocolate sprinkles
• a non-stick pan
• a wooden spoon
• mini baking cups

To make the fudge, I had to combine the condensed milk, cocoa powder, and butter in a pan. I had to cook it slowly and continually stir it until it was thick enough to separate with a spoon.Then I had to pour it onto a plate and spread it out. It chilled in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.Next, I covered my hands in butter. Then I used a spoon to scoop the fudge up and rolled it into a ball. Finally, I rolled it in chocolate sprinkles. I also rolled a few in crushed Oreos.

They were chewy. They were fudgy.The sprinkles gave it some crunch. I would be happy if these were at my next birthday. Have you ever had Brigadeiros?

5 from 2 votes

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The Easiest Party Treat: Brigadeiros

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Cooking time

15 mins

Total Time

25 mins

 

These chocolate fudge balls from Brazil are so easy to make, even kids can do it. 

Course: Sweets

Keyword: brigedeiros, chocolate treats, fudge balls

Servings: 12

Author: Jackson

Ingredients

• 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 4 tbsp cocoa powder
• chocolate sprinkles
• crushed oreos optional

Instructions

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine condensed milk, cocoa powder and butter.  

2. Stir with a wooden spoon until well combined. 

3. Continue stirring and cooking over heat until the mix thickens. Once it's ready, it will hold its shape for a few seconds when you separate it in the pan with the back of a spoon. 

4. Pour the mixture onto a greased plate and let cool in the refrigerator about 15-20 minutes. 
   

5. Once cooled, use a teaspoon or tablespoon depending on the size you want, to scoop out a small chunk. 
   

6. Grease your hands with butter, and roll the chocolate into a round ball. 
   

7. Drop the ball into the sprinkles, roll it around, and transfer to a mini muffin cup. Repeat until the mix is gone. 
   

8. Refrigerate to set and you are ready to serve. 

Recipe Notes

Try different toppings, like crushed Oreos, coconut, or rainbow sprinkles.