Brigadeiro | Learn How to Make These Brazilian Chocolate Truffles with the Best Stylish Flourish Possible (+ Pics, Video Tutorial & Top-notch Tips)

Jokes apart, brigadeiro is a candy with an interesting story. Brigadeiro is a delicious Brazilian sweet that is very popular in the country. There’s not a single children’s party without it. Otherwise, it’s not a real party.

Right after WW2, while Rio de Janeiro was still Brazil’s capital, the country was busy with the reelection of the new president. One of the candidates, Brigadier Eduardo Gomes, besides being quite charming, was considered a handsome man by the female voters, who were finally allowed to vote in 1932.

To show their candidate support, these voters prepared sweets to serve in rallies and public meetings. Mind you, brigadeiro was named after the candidate’s title, brigadier, but in Portuguese.

But because it was a post-war period, the country was still rationing many ingredients and products. And instead of using milk and sugar, as in most desserts, Heloísa Nabuco de Olivera–the creator of brigadeiro–used sweetened condensed milk to prepare this delicious Brazilian sweet.

Little did Heloísa know her recipe would become Brazil’s most popular sweet for generations to come. Today, this little fudge truffle is part of many bakers’ cuisine.

The fun fact is despite the support of the female voters, Brigadier Eduardo Gomes didn’t win the elections. Eurico Gaspar Dutra did. The brigadier lost the election and Brazil won its favorite sweet – Brigadeiro which you are here to get the recipe for today.

In this article, we will give you the ingredients that are used to brigadeiro and an epic recipe that gives effective know-how on how to make brigadeiro plus a very enlightening video tutorial on how to make brigadeiro which will give more details just in case you need an audio-visual recipe on how to make brigadeiro.

Brigadeiro –What is it all about?

This Brigadeiro recipe is straightforward and tastes divine! The chewy truffle melts in your mouth and challenges you to eat only one. But, why would you?

I love brigadeiro. People are crazy about brigadeiro. Families love it, too—adults and children. Well, what can I say? The candy was originally called “Brigadeiro’s sweet,” because that’s the translation of brigadier to Portuguese.

Mind you, this sweet was created in support of a Brazilian brigadier. But years later, the name was shortened to only brigadeiro. That’s the reason this delicious treat is important to Brazil.

Brigadeiro is a Brazilian chocolate truffle garnished with sprinkles. It’s usually served in a candy cup, but Brazilians also eat it with a spoon (from a small bowl).¹https://tasty.co/recipe/classic-brigadeiros

Brigadeiro taste like heaven! Brigadeiro tastes like chocolate fudge melting in your mouth. I don’t know if the sweetened condensed milk in America is as sweet as the one we have in Brazil, but this ingredient, together with pure cocoa powder, makes wonders.

Nutritional Information of Brigadeiro – 1 serving

• Calories: 99kcal
• Total Fat: 3g
• Saturated Fat: 2g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Unsaturated Fat: 1g
• Cholesterol: 11mg
• Sodium: 52mg
• Carbohydrates: 16g
• Fiber: 0g
• Sugar: 15g
• Protein: 2g

Equipments & Kitchen Utensils Used: Medium non-stick pan, cooking pot, teaspoons, oven, candy cups, freezer, measuring cups or kitchen scale, wooden spoon or silicone spatula, and cake plate.

Ingredients for 8 servings

• 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter: Just so you can control the amount of salt in your brigadeiro recipe.
• 14 oz of sweetened condensed milk (395g): This is the base for most Brazilian desserts, and what makes this brigadeiro so sweet.
• ¼ cup of cocoa powder (30g): Cocoa powder adds a sophisticated touch of real chocolate. Obviously, you could also use chocolate milk powder, but because it comes with lots of sugar, your brigadeiro might not taste so well.
• 1 cup chocolate sprinkle (160g), as needed to garnish: You can use pure chocolate sprinkles simply because you love pure chocolate. However, you can use any sprinkles you like in your Brazilian fudge balls.²https://www.iheartbrazil.com/brigadeiro-recipe/ 

The Directions

• First, grease a plate with butter and set aside.

• Then, mix the condensed milk, the butter, and the cocoa powder in a medium non-stick pan. Be sure to continually stir with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula so the milk won’t burn at the bottom.

• In a pot over low heat, melt the butter, condensed milk, and cocoa powder, stirring continuously until you can see the bottom of the pot for 2-3 seconds when dragging a spatula through.

• Pour onto the greased plate, then chill for 1 hour.

• Shape and roll the chilled mixture into balls: To mold the brigadeiro into balls, take a full teaspoon of the dough and roll it between your buttered hands. Put the little balls on the plate with sprinkles, but don’t coat them yet.

• Roll the balls in chocolate sprinkles: After you have no more space on the plate or there’s no more dough, roll the brigadeiros around the plate with sprinkles to coat all sides and transfer each ball to a candy cup. Bon appetit!

• Enjoy!

Brigadeiro Variations

Brigadeiro is a very versatile sweet. You can create different flavors or a mix of flavors as you like. There are plenty of brigadeiro recipe variations possible, but a few favorites are coconut (beijinho), pumpkin, and lemon.

Recipe Notes

Preparing the brigadeiro

• This brigadeiro recipe is very easy to follow. Once you start rolling the truffles, I recommend you do it in batches for practical reasons.
• Be sure to continually stir the mixture of the ingredients when you are first mixing them together with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula so the milk won’t burn at the bottom.
• The secret of getting the brigadeiro to the right cooking point where it won’t stick to your hands when you roll the little balls is to let it cook a little more than most brigadeiro recipes say.
• Most bakers say to turn off the stove after the mixture seems more like dough and starts pulling away from the sides of the pan. But it is advised by expert bakers to continue stirring it for a minute after the dough starts acting like that.
• When cooked for a further minute, the brigadeiro never sticks to the hand. It is very easy to roll.

Molding the brigadeiro balls

• To mold the brigadeiro into balls, take a full teaspoon with the dough and roll it between your buttered hands. Put the little balls on the plate with sprinkles, but don’t coat them yet.

Rolling the brigadeiro balls

• It’s easier to roll them in batches and only then to coat them with sprinkles; otherwise, your hands will get filled with them.

Storage

• If you refrigerate them, keep them for seven days, but be aware that besides getting a bit dry, they could also have their color, texture, and flavor changed a little.
• Brigadeiros freeze really well for up to three months, but in that case, I suggest you don’t roll them into balls.³https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigadeiro Only freeze the dough; otherwise, they might not look as appealing as before.
• If you have any leftovers that you want to save for another party or just to save for after your diet, all you need to do is to store them in a plastic container with the lid tightly closed in the freezer and without the candy cups.
• This way, when it thaws, it won’t ruin the cup and possibly the brigadeiro too. To thaw, leave them at room temperature for about one hour.

Brigadeiros – The Perfect Brazilian Treats for Every Occasion

Brigadeiros, if I am to imagine, is the fudgiest, smoothest, and most delicious chocolatey, caramelly candy ever. That is what brigadeiro is. One bite and you can easily understand why this is an adored treat in Brazilian culture!

If I were to compare it to anything, I would say brigadeiro is like thick, chocolate caramel, but it's soft and doesn't get stuck in your teeth at all. This candy has a silkiness & creaminess; it is just absolutely divine. Heavenly. You will be making all the yummy sounds! But make sure not to eat too much of it because stomach aches are real.

Additional resources and citations

• 1
  https://tasty.co/recipe/classic-brigadeiros
• 2
  https://www.iheartbrazil.com/brigadeiro-recipe/
• 3
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigadeiro

Brigadeiro | Learn How to Make These Brazilian Chocolate Truffles with the Best Stylish Flourish Possible (+ Pics, Video Tutorial & Top-notch Tips)

Brigadeiro taste like heaven! Brigadeiro tastes like chocolate fudge melting in your mouth. I don’t know if the sweetened condensed milk in America is as sweet as the one we have in Brazil, but this ingredient, together with pure cocoa powder, makes wonders.

Type: Candy

Cuisine: Brazilian

Keywords: Brigadeiro

Recipe Yield: 20 Servings

Calories: 99kcal

Preparation Time: 15M

Cooking Time: 10M

Cooling Time: 1H

Total Time: 1H25M

Recipe Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter
• 14 oz of sweetened condensed milk (395g)
• ¼ cup of cocoa powder (30g)
• 1 cup chocolate sprinkle (160g), as needed to garnish

Recipe Instructions:

Step 1:

First, grease a plate with butter and set aside.

Step 2:

Then, mix the condensed milk, the butter, and the cocoa powder in a medium non-stick pan. Be sure to continually stir with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula so the milk won’t burn at the bottom.

Step 3:

In a pot over low heat, melt the butter, condensed milk, and cocoa powder, stirring continuously until you can see the bottom of the pot for 2-3 seconds when dragging a spatula through.

Step 4:

Pour onto the greased plate, then chill for 1 hour.

Step 5:

Shape and roll the chilled mixture into balls: To mold the brigadeiro into balls, take a full teaspoon of the dough and roll it between your buttered hands. Put the little balls on the plate with sprinkles, but don’t coat them yet.

Step 6:

Roll the balls in chocolate sprinkles: After you have no more space on the plate or there’s no more dough, roll the brigadeiros around the plate with sprinkles to coat all sides and transfer each ball to a candy cup. Bon appetit!

Editor's Rating:
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