Brigadeiro, Truffle or Fudge? You be the Judge.

     I've heard people refer to Brigadeiro (Bree-guh-day-doh) both as Brazilian Fudge and/or Brazilian Truffle, but the truth is, it's technically neither. It's not really important either, because the point is, it's delicious. The method used to cook it does resemble making fudge somewhat, though.
Brigadeiro translates into what would be a Military General in English, and this particular treat was named after Brigadeiro Eduardo Gomes, who was famous for defeating a communist coupe. This was actually created for him during his first campaign as president back in 1946-1950, and was first referred to as "docinho de brigadeiro" or "General's  Little Sweets." Over time, Brigadeiro stuck as the official name for it.
     Today Brigadeiro can be found at any festive gathering, birthday party, deli, bakery, or any children's event. It is the most popular of sweet treats in Brazil, and there are actually quite a lot of variations of it. I will probably post a lot of these variations closer to Thanksgiving and Christmas, which would be a good time to share some of these newly learned treats with family. I once made Brigadeiro for everyone at my son's 3rd birthday party that we had in the United States, and that year it became a traditional staple in my US family's Christmas cookie platter. It really is that good. So easy to make!

So here's what you will need:

• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated!)
• 1 tbsp of butter or margarine preferably with no salt added (though honestly, I make it all the time here in Brazil with salt added margarine because it's cheaper than the no salt added, works just fine!)
• 4 tbsp of cocoa powder OR 7 tbsp of any chocolate drink mix powder
• Tiny cupcake liners-- tiny. I found them at Schnucks while I was in the states, so I know you can get them at a normal grocery store. I found them around where they sell icing dispensers and sprinkles and such.
• Wooden Spoon
• Any pot.. non stick is good, but I don't use non stick here in brazil and I just let the pot soak in water for a bit after I use it.
• 1 cup of chocolate sprinkles
• OPTIONAL - small fruits such as blueberries, strawberries, raisins, nuts, etc. you get the idea, that can be covered with the brigadeiro and rolled into a ball. Very yummy option indeed.

Directions:

1. Put condensed milk, butter, and chocolate powder into pan.

2. Place pan over medium heat.

3. As contents start to heat up and melt, begin stirring with the wooden spoon. Don't stop!

This is not ready yet. See how it sticks to the sides? It should start pulling off of the pan when it is ready.

4. Continue stirring with wooden spoon, slowly and steadily, and it will begin to take on a darker color. The texture will begin to thicken. 

5. Don't stop stirring. You will be stirring for about 8-10 minutes when you will begin to notice that the mixture will start to bubble and boil. You will end up stirring for about 5-8 more minutes after this, and the color will be darker. The smell will get a lot stronger, but if it starts to smell at all like burning, it's time to stop. 

6. Mixture is ready when you pick the spoon up and nothing falls off of it right away. It's a lot like fudge in the sense that if you don't cook it enough, it will not come together properly when you are ready to roll it into balls, and if you cook it too long... you will have more of a toffee when it cools off. So just try to pay attention to the consistency.

See how it has started to  pull away from the pan? It's ready to take off the fire.

7. Take the mixture off of the heat and let it cool down enough to put it into a heat safe bowl. You can either leave this in room temp. to cool for 3 hours, or put it in the fridge and let it cool for about 1.5-2 hours. 

8. Once cooled, it should be thick, but pliable with the fingers. You will need to set up a little station.

9. Take a platter or serving dish and line it with your mini cupcake liners. Also take a deep plate or bowl and pour in the chocolate sprinkles. Bring the pot of cooled brigadeiro over to your station and lightly coat your fingers/hands with butter. You will need to do this from time to time throughout your sprinkle coating adventure, so keep it handy.

10. Take the mixture out with buttered fingers in small to medium pinches and roll into a ball.  If you are embedding fruit or nuts into these balls, this is the time to get them into the middle of the ball and roll it up inside.

11. Roll the ball throughout the chocolate sprinkles and then place it in a mini cupcake liner. I have also seen people use a spoon to spoon sprinkles over the ball, but I find it's quicker if you just use your hands. Kids love this project by the way. 

12. Keep repeating those steps until all of the mini cupcake liners are all full. Depending on how big your balls are... you will get anyway from 15-30 balls per recipe.

13. Keep in the fridge until time to serve, and try not to let them sit out in extreme heated temps. They'll melt! 

Enjoy!

Note: Feel free to play with this one. You don't have to use chocolate sprinkles, you can use coconut, colored sprinkles, crushed nuts, etc. I've even seen someone use sesame seeds. 

Also, you can make this a vegan version if you can find soy condensed milk and use margarine instead of butter.

A couple ideas:

Pudim!

      I have decided to make my first posting about Pudim. This was one of the first Brazilian Food experiences I ever had and it was about 6 years ago while still living in the United States that I first tasted it. My husband attempted to make it, and while it didn't turn out correctly, I still thought it was absolutely delicious!
     Pudim, pronounced (poo-gene),  is not pudding; despite what it might sound like.  It can best be described as a Brazilian version of Flan. The difference is that Pudim does not use gelatin and it is much more like a stiff custard. Pudim is probably the most commonly eaten dessert after basic cakes and Brigadeiro (recipe soon to come) in Brazil, and it is inexpensive and quite simple to make. There are several varieties of it, from Chocolate or Brigadeiro flavored Pudim, to a cooking sheet baked type of Pudim called Pudim de Pao... or Bread Pudim... which is nothing like the Bread pudding it might make you think of. Anyway, to the recipe.

The ingredients are basic and as follows:

• 1 can of condensed milk (NOT EVAPORATED.. big difference!)
• Whole milk - just use the empty can of condensed milk and fill it once with milk. That's how much you need.
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup of granulated sugar

You will need the following utensils:

• Small to medium Bundt cake pan preferrably one that is flat on the bottom without all of those fancy ridges (the crystalized sugar will get stuck in them-- which is ok-- but you won't have as much delicious sugary syrup to eat with your Pudim), that holds about 2 liters. If you do not have these things... you can still make pudim, but you will need to use a pan that holds about 2 liters, and is not too deep or too shallow. You decide.
• Pan larger in width that the bundt pan that can be used as a bath to submerge part of the pudim pan in.
• Spoon
• Foil
• Blender

Let's get Started!1. Preheat oven to 180 Celsius or about 350 Fahrenheit. 

2. Put Condensed Milk, Milk, and eggs into Blender and blend on normal speed for 5 minutes. Set aside.

3. Dump sugar into Bundt pan... or any pan and place on oven over medium heat. Let it sit until you can smell it cooking, then occasionally stir with a spoon. The sugar will begin to first crystalize and turn a tannish color, then it should start to turn into a syrup. As you stir it, bring some of that syrup up around the sides of the pan and try to coat the pan with some of that sugar. The majority of the sugar should stay at the bottom though. When you see that it has become a rich golden brown color, turn off the heat and let it cool just for a minute or so. (Just until any bubbling has completely gone down). If you have been cooking the sugar in a separate pan than you plan to cook the Pudim in, go ahead and transfer the syrup into the pan of choice, and bring some of the syrup up onto the sides of that pan.

4. Once there are no bubbles or frothiness in the carmelized sugar, pour the contents of the blender over the sugar.

5.Cover the Pudim with foil.

6. Open the preheated oven, place bath pan (filled halfway with water) into the oven first, then place the Pudim pan into that. Close oven, and leave it there for an hour.

7. After an hour, remove the foil, but leave it baking for another 40 minutes.

8. After the 40 minutes is up, take the Pudim out and let it sit in its pan for about 20 minutes.

9. Put in fridge for about 3 hours.

10.Place a plate or dish over the top of it, and while still holding the plate tightly against the pan, flip it over. Use a plate or dish that has a little depth in it because there will be lots of syrup coming out along with the Pudim. 

11. Enjoy!

12. Keep covered in the fridge when you are not eating it.