Nuther Brazilian Recipe

Okay, I had to ask Mike last night how it is that Brazilian people are all so freaking beautiful. Their food is simple and convenient to cook and riddled with bad-for-you-ness. Hello table cream. I love you.

Mike says it's because the men are all manual laborers working their tushies off all day, and the women spend all their money on looking good. Living in a hut is an acceptable trade-off. I'll, uh, do more research.

Anyway, are you familiar with No-Bake Cookies? It's a stove-top recipe for chocolatey goodness that has now been replaced in my universe by Brigadeiros as the go-to quick sugar fix recipe. Ohhhhhhhh, Brigadeiros. I may never forgive Mike for introducing these to me.

Brigadeiros are Brazilian candies, somewhere between a caramel and a fudge-ball. Think melt-in-your-mouth chocolate-flavored caramel. No, wait, I'll think that. You just sit there for a minute while I do.


(Found this image on some Brazilian blog. Mine weren't around long enough to photograph.)

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....

Sorry - still there? Alright then, your patience is rewarded with the EASIEST candy recipe you will ever know.

Take:
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 Tbsp butter
2-3 Tbsp cocoa powder (or any chocolatey powder, like Nesquik, etc.)

Put those in a pot and boil and stir till it's... gloopy. Soft-ball stage for you candy-makers out there. All the Brazilian recipes say helpful things like "until you can see the bottom of the pan." Anyway, make it a couple times and you'll find your right consistency. It doesn't take long, so don't leave the pot, and don't stop stirring.

Pour onto a plate and let it cool off a bit. While still warm, but cool enough for you to handle, shmear your hands in butter, pinch off a chunk of candy goop, and roll into a ball about an inch in diameter. Now roll that ball in chocolate sprinkles. Ben had a blast helping me with the ball-rolling part. Joseph even made one.

And then we ate them all.

Anyhoo, that's it. You can't have a Brazilian party without Brigadeiros. I don't think I can have a week without Brigadeiros now. I'll certainly be SAYING it daily. Seriously, say it. Roll the R, if you can. Flip it if you can't. "Brrrigadeiros!"

Yum.