Brazilian Brigadeiro

Growing up I had a lot of Brazilian friends, and one of the perks was that I was introduced to so much of their delicious food! Brigadeiro is a delicious Brazilian treat that tastes like chocolate caramel. It is pretty simple to make; the hardest part is knowing when to stop cooking the caramel. It takes some patience, but it is definitely worth it. This is definitely one of my favorite treats!

Ingredients:

     1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

     1 tbsp butter 

     2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

     chocolate sprinkles

Empty the condensed milk into a small saucepan and place over low heat. Add the butter and cocoa powder, stir constantly to prevent the milk from burning. Cook until the caramel has thickened enough that when you stir you can see the bottom of the pan. If it is cooked too little, the balls will not hold their shape. If too much, the caramel will begin to solidify and make lumps in the pot. (It took me two tries to get this right.) Grease a shallow container with some butter and pour the cooked caramel into it. Allow it to cool for an hour or so. 

Pour out the chocolate sprinkles in a small bowl. Take a spoon and dip some of the cooled caramel, place it in your hand, and roll into a ball. If it is too sticky, try greasing your hands with some butter first. Place the ball into the sprinkles and roll it around to cover. (If you use too much butter on your hands, the balls will be too greasy and the sprinkles will not adhere as well.) You can use small candy cups to place them in if you like. Continue with the rest of the caramel. 

Try not to eat them all yourself!