We had a very special Birthday Boy in our class on Wednesday. Mister Thomas turned 4! Thomas and I go way back-we’ve known each other since he was in the womb, and I was teaching his mommy downward facing dogs. Clearly we needed to have a good treat for him for such a huge occasion.
Thomas’s mom, Fabienne, is Brazilian, and through her we found our wonderful new sitter, the incomparable Roberta. When I asked Roberta for a special Brazilian dessert in honor of Thomas, she filled me in on what all the Brazilian kids have at birthdays: brigadeiros (or chocolate balls) and slipped me a recipe. Did I mention that her mom is a chef in Brazil? Mmmm. Hmmm.
So, it was this simple recipe as you can see below, but oh my did I do a doozy for class. It was, well, April Fool’s Day and I was the, well, you know…. Roberta told me that the basic mixture would cool in a few minutes after making it. My friends, this is not the case. Now imagine handing out warm chocolate goo to a bunch of one-and-a-half to four-year-olds, and you might get the picture (and, if not, please see the concept illustrated more specifically above).
All the moms banded together and managed to roll out one only-slightly-gooey brigadeiro for each kid. (Thank you!) The lesson here? Sometimes you make a chocolate mess…but you’re probably going to have fun anyway, especially when your friends are there to help. The other lesson? Chocolate and condensed milk taste really, really good when you lick them off of your fingers!
Brigadeiros
*one can condensed milk
*4 T. of the best cocoa powder or powdered chocolate you can afford
*optional: a tablespoon or two of butter
*colored sprinkles (especially the bday boy or girl’s favorite colors)
Together: Measure out the chocolate into a medium saucepan.
Big Person: Bring the condensed milk and the chocolate to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring till-in Roberta’s words-you can no longer see the bottom of the pan. Take off of the heat and-this is important-and cool before your mini-chef sticks their hands in it. That means at least a half hour and more likely a half hour plus some time in the fridge.
Together again: Pour your sprinkles into shallow bowls or rimmed baking pans. Place several sheets of wax paper or parchment on your counter.
With a little bowl of water nearby, dip your hands into the water and coat the palms of your hands. Pick up about a tablespoon or two of the chocolate mixture and roll it between your hands to shape it into a ball. Now, roll it in the sprinkles, place on the parchment or wax paper, and proceed with the rest of the chocolate mixture till you’re all done.
