RECIPE - Brigadeiro Cake (Bolo Brigadeiro)

Give the depth and intensity of the Brazilian obsession with the small fudge-like ball of chocolate called brigadeiro, it's no surprise that the essential ingredients of a brigadeiro - chocolate, sweetened condenses milk, chocolate sprinkles - show up in other dessert treatments. Think of them as tributes to the glories of the original brigadeiro. Some of these treatments are relatively straightforward reimaginings while others are high-concept flights of fancy.

One popular way to recreate the brigadeiro is to turn it into a rich, moist chocolate cake. The cake part is usually some sort of standard chocolate cake, the brigadeiro part being found in the frosting. The recipe below, which was created by Brazilian chef Raphael Despirite and is featured on the website of Brazilian food and wine magazine Prazeres da Mesa, is just such a creation - a chocolate sponge-cake with a brigadeiro topping. The resulting dessert is rich and moist, and since a small slice goes a long way is perfect for a fairly large crowd.

NB. This recipe calls for creme de leite, a thickened, unsweetened cream that is a staple in all Brazilian kitchens. You can find creme de leite, UHT-treated or canned, in Brazilian groceries in cities that have a Brazilian immigrant community. Alternatively it is sold in almost all Latin American markets under the Spanish name media crema and the English name table cream, most often manufactured by Nestlé. It is also available online from numerous sources, including Amazon.com.
__________________________________________________

RECIPE - Brigadeiro Cake (Bolo Brigadeiro)
Makes 1 8-inch cake

For the sponge cake:
6 large whole eggs, free-range preferred
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated white sugar
6 Tbsp unsweetened dry cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the topping:
1 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
4 Tbsp unsweetened dry cocoa powder
2/3 cup creme de leite (see note above)
chocolate sprinkles
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Make the sponge cake:
 Preheat the oven to 400F (200C). Beat the eggs, vanilla and sugar together with a cake-mixer for 10 minutes, or until the mixture is light and fluffy. Fold in the flour and cocoa powder, taking care not to overmix. Pour the batter into an 8-inch springform cake pan, ungreased, and bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.

Make the topping:
Combine the sweetened condensed milk, the butter and cocoa powder in a double-boiler and heat, stirring constantly, until you have a thickened, consistent mixture. Remove from the heat, then stir in the creme de leite. Let cool.

Frost and decorate the cake:
When the cake and the frosting are cool, spread the frosting on the top of the cake, then cover the frosting with chocolate sprinkles. Remove the sides of the springform pan to expose the sponge cake. Leave the cake resting on the bottom of the pan and place it on a decorative serving platter for cutting into slices and serving.

RECIPE - Brigadeiros

In the previous post, we all learned that we can thank the perennially unsuccessful Brazilian presidential candidate, Brigadeiro Eduardo Gomes, for the sweet chocolate truffle which bears his name, and which has addicted millions of Brazilians, adults and kids alike. It's kind of like having a candy in the USA named the "Adlai" after the similarly unsuccessful Adlai Stevenson.

The candy itself is very simple to make; perhaps part of it's success. Here is the basic recipe, which yields 30 Brigadeiros.
______________________________________________________
RECIPE - Brigadeiros
Makes 30

1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
4 Tbsp. powdered chocolate (cocoa powder)
chocolate sprinkles to make balls
----------------------------------------------------------------------
In a deep, heavy non-stick saucepan, heat all the ingredients except the sprinkles, stirring constantly with silicone or wooden spatula or spoon. Continue to heat and stir until everything is well mixed and the mixture begins to come away from the pan. Remove from heat and let cool completely at room temperature.

Place chocolate sprinkles on edged cookie sheet. Greasing hands with softened unsalted butter, roll one Tbsp. of cooled mixture in your hands into a ball, then roll the ball in the sprinkles. Place on wax paper to dry and harden. Repeat procedure until all the mixture has been used up.

Place each brigadeiro in small paper or foil cup and serve as part of a buffet or dessert spread.

SWEETS - Brigadeiro

If feijoada is Brazil's national dish, and the caipirinha is its national cocktail, then there is no question that the Brigadeiro is the country's national sweet. It's impossible to find a buffet table at a birthday party, an anniversary celebration, a wedding reception or any other festive occasion that doesn't include a large number of Brigadeiros. At least at the beginning of the party - at the end, they are usually long since gone from the table.

Besides the sweet itself, Brigadeiro ice cream, candy bars, cookies and other sweet treats are universal in Brazil. If you ask a Brazilian kid what his or her favorite food is "Brigadeiro" is likely to be the answer.

A Brigadeiro is basically a soft sweet, or candy, made from sweetened condensed milk, butter and cocoa powder, with chocolate sprinkles as a topping. They are usually formed into small one-bite balls, but other shapes are possible. They are rich, somewhat like a chocolate truffle in mouth-feel, and incredibly sweet, which makes them perfect for the Brazilian sweet tooth.

The word "Brigadeiro" itself merely means "brigadier", as in the military rank. I've long been curious as to why these chocolate treats are named after a military title, and in researching this posting, I found out. The Brigadeiro was created in the 1940s, and the name is an homage to Brigadeiro Eduardo Gomes, who ran unsuccessfully for the Presidency of Brazil in 1946 and 1950 (at least his name lives on postumously in the candy!). One version of the story has it that his wife created the treat to serve at campaign fundraisers, another is that some female supporters of Gomes from Rio de Janeiro adapted a local chocolate sweet called "negrinhos" (a diminutive term best translated - and avoided - as "blackies")  to sell to raise funds for his candidacy. In either case, the candies became known as "docinhos do Brigadeiro" (the sweets of the Brigadier) and eventually this name was shortened to "Brigadeiro."

Though Gomes himself is a bit of a footnote in Brazilian political history, he has staked his claim to fame in Brazilian gastronomy. It's probably a good thing he was a Brigadier and not a Private!