Brigadeiros (Brazilian Chocolate Candies)

Oh...my...goodness! I have these adorable candies to share with you! They're so quick and easy to make that I guarantee, once you take a bite of this fudgy confection, you'll be back for more.



These chocolate candies originated from Brazil and they are called brigadeiros. A birthday party would be not complete without serving these beloved bonbons. In fact, these fudgy and chewy treats are so popular in Brazil that they're considered the national truffle. So how did these candies get their name? Well, they're named after a brigadier general, Eduardo Gomes, who ran for president in the 1940s. His supporters started selling these sweet confections at fundraisers for his campaign. The bad news: he lost the election. The good news: he has a national truffle named after him.




When I said these were quick and easy to make, I wasn't kidding. You only need three ingredients: sweetened condensed milk, cocoa powder and butter. Basically, you just mix them together and cook it until it reaches a thick fudgy consistency. Believe me, at this stage, I was ready to just take a big spoonful and enjoy it but I practiced some restraint and allowed it to cool so I can roll them in colorful sprinkles.



Traditionally, brigadeiros are rolled into round balls and covered in sugar, cocoa powder or chocolate sprinkles but I had a brilliant idea. Well, since Easter is just around the corner, I thought I'd shape them into little eggs and cover them in colorful rainbow sprinkles.



How cute are these?!? And to top it off, they're so absolutely delicious! As you can see, even though the recipe makes about 24 candies, quite a few were eaten before I could take a picture so I had to use a smaller box :-)



I hope you have a wonderful Easter with your family and friends this weekend and I hope you make these cute and colorful brigadeiros for everyone to enjoy.

Brigadeiros
Makes about 24 candies
Allergy Note: contains dairy ingredients

1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1 Tablespoon butter

an assortment of colorful sprinkles
candy liners

In a medium-sized saucepan, combine condensed milk, cocoa powder and butter . Gently stir until the cocoa powder is incorporated into the condensed milk. Place the saucepan on top of the stove and turn the heat to medium. Bring the mixture to a boil then turn down to medium-low heat and continue stirring until the mixture has thickened and you can see the bottom of the pan while you are stirring, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl. Allow to cool to room temperature then refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm enough to roll. Place sprinkles into small bowls. Arrange small candy liners on a plate or small baking sheet. Grease the palms of your hands with butter. Scoop about 2 teaspoonfuls of the candy mixture and roll it to form an egg shape. Roll the candy in the bowl of sprinkles until it's completely coated.  Place into candy liners. You can store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Shortcut Microwave Version: Using a large microwave-safe bowl, heat the butter for 30 seconds or until melted. Mix in the condensed milk and cocoa powder. Return to the microwave and heat on HIGH for one minute then remove from the microwave to mix till smooth. Repeat this process 2 more times until the mixture thickens and comes away from the bowl. Allow to cool to room temperature then refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm enough to roll. Place sprinkles into small bowls. Arrange small candy liners on a plate or small baking sheet. Grease the palms of your hands with butter. Scoop about 2 teaspoonfuls of the candy mixture and roll it to form an egg shape. Roll the candy in the bowl of sprinkles until it's completely coated.  Place into candy liners. You can store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.