Chewy, fudgy, addictive. These little chocolate fudge balls are as common and as loved in Brazil as cookies and brownies are in the United States. Traditionally, brigadeiros are a simple mixture of condensed milk, sweetened cocoa powder, and butter, cooked to a fudge state, then formed into little balls and rolled in chocolate sprinkles. I find this to be much too sweet, so I made a few changes to the original recipe, adding real chocolate, real cocoa powder, heavy cream, and corn syrup. Chocolate sprinkles are usually made with vegetable fat, so unless I know the sprinkle is made with real chocolate like the ones from Guittard or Cocoa Barry, I prefer to use cocoa powder, or grated chocolate, for rolling and the result is amazing. This is a perfect dessert to give as a gift for any occasion. Children will love it and so will adults.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes about 45 brigadeiros
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
1 In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, place the condensed milk, butter, heavy cream, and corn syrup and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Step 2
2 When the mixture starts to bubble, add the chocolate and the cocoa powder. Whisk well, making sure there are no pockets of cocoa powder. Reduce the heat to low and cook, whisking constantly, until it is the consistency of a dense fudgy batter, 8 to 10 minutes. You want the mixture to bubble toward the end, so it's important to use low heat or the sides of the pan will burn the fudge. If you undercook it, the brigadeiro will be too soft; if you overcook it, it will be too chewy. It is done when you swirl the pan and the mixture slides as one soft piece, leaving a thick burnt residue on the bottom.
Step 3
3 Slide the mixture into a bowl (without scraping the bottom) and let cool at room temperature. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
Step 4
4 Scoop the mixture by the teaspoonful and, using your hands, roll each into a little ball about 3/4 inch in diameter (about the size of a chocolate truffle).
Step 5
5 Place the sprinkles in a bowl. Roll 4 to 6 brigadeiros at a time through the sprinkles, making sure they cover the entire surface. Store in an airtight plastic container for 2 days or up to 1 month in the refrigerator.
Recipe notes
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