Merry Christmas with Brigadeiros

This is my Christmas post.

Because it felt wrong to leave you with a story about spiders.

Because I made Brigadeiros.

Because I first ate Brigadeiros at my Brazilian neighbour’s house, soon after she fed me barbecued chicken hearts. At the time, I much preferred the silky, slighty-chewy, rich, sweetened-condensed-milk-and-cocoa truffles to the offal.

I still do.

Because Christmas is a time of giving, and I made these for the charming C.ZineLady. Six months ago, she was a student of mine, and now she’s a very dear friend. Who is awesome.

Because one can never have too many tried-and-true recipes up one’s sleeve for last-minute holiday baking.

Because I like you guys a lot.

Because I hope your Christmases (Christmasi?) are just a sweet as these chocolate fudge truffles, even if you don’t celebrate Christmas.

Because one Christmas many years ago, my late great uncle Peaches* took his spoon out of his coffee mug and, to test the temperature of the coffee, put the spoon directly onto my forearm.

Because the coffee was almost at boiling temperature and the spoon so hot on my arm that I cried, and because I wish Peaches was still here so that I could tell him I find the scenario hilarious now.

Because before opening our real presents, my brother and I don’t get stockings full of treats. We get pillowcases.

Because there’s something comforting in the sound (tradition) of my parents stressing out in the kitchen about making sure the turkey and vegetables are ready at the same time.

Because I can’t stand Christmas Pudding, so this year I’m making raspberry granita. And because I hope it works.

Because, most of all, Merry Christmas.

Brigadeiros

Recipe from here
Makes 12 -20, depending on the size of your balls.

• 400g can sweetened condensed milk
• 3 tb (60ml) cocoa powder
• pinch salt
• 2.5 tb (50g) unsalted butter, chopped
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• sprinkles, to decorate

1. In a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat, stir together the sweetened condensed milk, cocoa, and salt. Keep stirring for about 15 minutes, until mixture holds the trail when you run a spoon through it.

2. Add the butter and vanilla, and keep stirring until both have melted/incorporated though the fudge mixture, which by now should be glossy and thick.

3. Pour (well, scrape is probably the more accurate term) the fudge mixture into a glass/pyrex/baking dish, cover with foil or gladwrap and put in the fridge for about an hour.

4. While watching the final episode of the BBC Pride and Prejudice with your mother (having banished your non-appreciative brother to another room of the house), roll spoonfuls (2 tsp? 1 tb? Your call) of the mixture into balls, then roll in sprinkles.

5. Many of the recipes I looked at said to use chocolate sprinkles. I’ve always hated those faux-chocolate travesties, though, so went for multicoloured sprinkles instead. This isn’t really part of the recipe instructions.

6. Put each brigadeiro into a mini muffin case, then store in the fridge until the lure of sweet, sweet condensed milk goodness becomes too much.

7. And have a Merry Christmas. Really.

* I should probably tell you that story some time. Suffice to say my great uncle’s “Peaches” nickname was more of sign of my strangeness than his.

Tagged as: brigadeiros, Christmas, sweetened condensed milk