Friday, June 20, 2014

Brigadeiros (Brazilian Truffles)


In honor of the ongoing World Cup, I've made some brigadeiros! Brigadeiros are Brazilian chocolate truffles made with condensed milk, cocoa powder, a touch of butter, and lots of chocolate sprinkles.  They're pretty awesome, and are a must for any World Cup viewing party. I hope you guys are watching, because there have been some pretty amazing moments so far!


By amazing moments, I am most definitely referring to Colombia's TWO victories.  After winning both of their games so far, they're at the top of their group and are advancing to the Round of 16 which is incredibly exciting since it's been 24 years since the last time that's happened!  I definitely had the last fifteen minutes of the game playing on my phone today at work (on silent of course) but I couldn't resist.  I just had to watch!  Let me tell you, those 15 minutes I got to watch were incredibly nerve wracking and stressful, but we did it!  There was an amazing sea of yellow in the stadium and so much energy.  I celebrated Colombia's win by getting myself a treat at the specialty chocolate shop next the office (have I mentioned that I love working on the LES before?).  If I had some of these brigadeiros with me at work, that would have been a really great way to celebrate too!


I actually learned about brigadeiros from my non-Brazilian college suitemate, ironically.  She's a serious chocoaholic (and that's coming from me), and she would make these treats all the time.  My roommates and I liked to host potluck style parties every now and then, and brigadeiros were my suitemate's dish of choice.  I had forgotten all about these little truffles until I stumbled across them on A Cozy Kitchen, and I immediately knew that I couldn't let the World Cup come and go without making a batch of these for myself.  


These truffles are one of the easiest treats you can possibly make, seriously.  Condensed milk, cocoa powder, and butter are stirred together in a saucepan over medium heat until a really thick mixture is formed, and it then cools over night in the fridge.  The next day, you just have to roll the thick chocolate paste into balls, cover them in sprinkles, and eat!  So. Easy.  The condensed milk in these truffles gives them a different flavor than traditional truffles made with cream and milk.  The chocolate flavor isn't quite as deep, but these truffles are still rich and decadent nonetheless.  Chocolate sprinkles are the traditional coating for these truffles, but you can roll them up in nuts or anything else that strikes your fancy.  I think rolling the truffles in sprinkles in your team's colors would be an excellent way really tie them into your World Cup viewing party. My next batch of brigadeiros is going to be covered in yellow, blue, and red sprinkles, for sure!  Keep watching the World Cup, best of luck to your team, but most importantly, "Vamos, vamos, vamos, Colombia!" 

Brigadeiros (Brazilian Truffles)
recipe from A Cozy Kitchen

Ingredients

1 14-oz can condensed milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
pinch of salt
2 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder
chocolate sprinkles

Directions

In a small saucepan set over medium heat, combine the sweetened condensed milk, unsalted butter and salt. Sift in the cocoa powder and mix thoroughly with a spatula until combined.

Heat the chocolate mixture for 10-15 minutes, making sure to stir constantly.  The mixture will thicken during this time; you'll know the mixture is thick enough if it separates and you can see the bottom of the saucepan if you swipe your spatula across.  Pour the mixture into a lightly greased bowl.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least four hours or overnight. 


To prepare the truffles, fill a large shallow bowl or dish with chocolate sprinkles and lightly grease your hands with nonstick spray. Scoop out mounds of the chocolate mixture and roll into balls, then roll the chocolate balls in the sprinkles to cover them completely.  Place the finished truffles in mini cupcake liners, and repeat until all of the chocolate mixture has been used.  I used heaping teaspoonfuls and heaping tablespoonfuls to ensure that the truffles were even in size.  Transfer the finished truffles to a plate and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Enjoy!


Yield will vary depending on the size of the brigadeiros

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