Sweet Valentine: Homemade with Love
Add a Brazilian twist to your Valentine’s Day (Galentine’s!) by making brigadeiros at home.
- By Gisela Gueiros
Last year we wrote an entire post dedicated to Brazil’s favorite sweet. But here is a little summary, in case you missed it: “brigadeiro [pronounced bree-gah-day-row] is the go-to treat at every Brazilian party, the country’s most traditional and beloved sweet. This bite-size truffle, somewhere between fudge and caramel, is made with sweetened condensed milk and butter and comes in multiple flavors”.
Today’s post brings the secret to your kitchen. We spoke to another brigadeiro expert and Brigadeiro Bakery owner, Mariana Vieira, and asked her to share the recipe of some of her shop’s most popular flavors: cacau & passion fruit. And it just so happens that those two flavors are the key ingredients in some of Natura’s most popular products too. So, for this year’s Valentine’s or Galentine’s Day, we suggest you prepare brigadeiros and treat yourself – and your loved ones – to a spa-at-home using products that match your chosen flavor.
Cacau Brigadeiros
(makes 30 brigadeiros approximately)
Ingredients :
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Melted butter or butter spray, for greasing hands 3⁄4 cup cocoa nibs
Directions:
1. Combine the sweetened condensed milk, cocoa powder and butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Stir vigorously until you see heavy bubbles in the mixture, about 10 minutes.
3. Transfer the batch to a plate and refrigerate for 1 hour or until it is completely cool.
4. When cooled, butter your hands with the butter spray and using a tablespoon grab small amounts of the mixture and mold it into 1-inch balls. Roll each one in cocoa nibs and place in mini paper candy cups. Keep refrigerated for 30 minutes before serving. 
Maracujá Brigadeiros
Ingredients:
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup of passion fruit pulp or 1⁄2 cup of passionfruit juice
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 egg yolk
Melted butter or butter spray, for greasing hands 1⁄2 cup crystalized sugar
Directions:
1. In a small pan, add the passion fruit pulp/juice (no seeds) and 1 tbsp of butter and simmer until reduced to half the volume. Reserve.
2. In another small pan, combine the sweetened condensed milk, egg yolk, and 1 tbsp of butter.
3. Over medium heat stir vigorously until you see heavy bubbles in the mixture, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the reduced passionfruit juice and cook for another 5 minutes or until the paste has thickened.
4. Transfer the batch to a plate and refrigerate for 1 hour.
5. When cooled, butter your hands with the butter spray and using a tablespoon grab small amounts of the mixture and mold it into 1-inch balls. Roll each one in caramelized sugar and place in mini paper candy cups. Keep refrigerated for 30 minutes before serving.
Mariana’s special tips for making brigadeiros at home:
— “People get fooled by the simplicity of the recipe. When I say stir “vigorously”, I really mean it. Think about burning the calories you will gain later when eating. Put some loud music on and get those muscles to work!”
— “Use the best ingredients possible – you will feel the difference. Fresh passion fruit works great, and try and find the purest cocoa – avoid generic mixes.”
— “Have fun with the sprinkles. Feel free to add different ideas and make it personal.”
— “You’ll know the brigadeiro is ready in the pan when the bubbles are shaped like fish lips.”
Put your apron on and… enjoy!
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