Desserts

Brazilian Chocolate Truffle

Brigadeiro is the name given to the traditional Brazilian chocolate truffle, or bonbon. It is probably the most common sweet treat on birthday parties in Brazil, and it is a favorite among kids and adults! Decadent and creamy, this super-easy-to-make chocolate dessert needs no special occasion to be made.

Makes 20 to 25 units

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

1 can sweetened condensed milk

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

Chocolate sprinkles for decoration

Directions:

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, add the butter, sweet condensed milk and cocoa powder. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens; about 10 minutes (you should be able to see quite a bit of the bottom of the pan.) Remove from heat and transfer to a plate. Let it cool to room temperature, or transfer to refrigerator (it will be easier to roll if the mixture is cold).

Grease hands with butter or cooking spray. Take small amounts of mixture (about 1 ½ teaspoon) and roll until a ball forms. Roll the ball over chocolate sprinkles and place on small candy cups. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate until serving.

Cook’s Notes:

Make sure you follow these guidelines to be successful –

1. Constantly stir; 2. Cook on medium heat, lowering the heat to medium-low if needed; 3. Make sure the mixture is really thick before removing from heat. Being able to see quite a bit of the bottom of the pan while stirring is the best way to tell the balls will not fall apart; 4. Let it cool completely before rolling it (or refrigerate for a couple of hours or over-night); 5. Grease your hands as many times as needed (this will ease the work and the balls will turn out prettier).

Quindin

A variety of small individual, petit four-like treats are often served at South American parties. Quindin, a popular coconut treat in Brazil made with lots of egg yolks, coconut, sugar, and butter, is often served this way, although it can also be made into one large ring custard. Quindin is baked in a water bath, and the coconut rises to the top while it’s baking. The cakes are then flipped out of the molds to reveal their sparkly golden cap of custard. The coconut becomes the sweet chewy crust.

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons butter, plus 2 tablespoons melted butter for greasing the pans

1 1/3 cup sugar, plus more for dusting the pans

1/2 teaspoon salt

14 egg yolks plus 1 whole egg

1 teaspoon coconut flavoring

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 2/3 cups fresh or frozen finely grated coconut, unsweetened

Preparation:

1. With a pastry brush, paint melted butter inside all of the molds of 2 mini-muffin pans.

2. Sprinkle sugar liberally over all of the molds, then turn the pans over and tap out the excess.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and heat a pot of water on the stove.

4. Cream the butter with the sugar and the salt until fluffy.

5. Make sure the egg yolks and egg are at room temperature (you can warm them very briefly in the microwave if necessary). Add the eggs one at a time, blending well after each. The batter should be smooth. Stir in the coconut flavoring and the vanilla.

6. Fold in the fresh coconut. (If coconut is not finely grated, process it in a food processor or blender first).

7. Place each cupcake pan inside of a large pan with sides, like a roasting pan. Fill each minicupcake mold almost full with batter.

8. Pour the hot water into the larger pan to a depth of about 3/4 of an inch, so that the muffin pan is sitting in a water bath, being careful not to let water splash into the batter. It sometimes helps to put the pans in the oven first, and then pour the water into the bottom pan, so that the water doesn’t slosh around as you are moving the pans to the oven.

9. Bake custards for about 15 minutes, or until they are firm to the touch and light golden brown.

10. Let cool for 15 minutes on a rack. To remove custards, run a knife around the edge to loosen them from the pan and then gently flip them or lift them out. If they will not come out easily, chill them first.

11. Serve chilled.

Note: This recipe can be made in one standard muffin tin, to make 12 standard muffin size flans. It can also me made in a medium size (6 to 7 cup) ring mold.

Grilled Bananas

2 ripe bananas

1/4 cup virgin coconut oil

1/4 cup sugar

2 Tbsp cinnamon

Strawberries to garnish

The Method:

Bring a grill up to heat. In a flat dish mix in the sugar and cinnamon. With a pastry brush, coat the bananas with the virgin coconut oil. Dip them into the sugar mixture until thoroughly covered.

Place the bananas on the grill for about six minutes, flipping half way. Pull them off the grill to cool shortly and put the strawberries on the grill to soak up the lovely juice drippings. They will only need about a minute. Pull off and slice into little pieces to garnish.

REGION: Minas Gerais

Bolinho de chuva is traditional all over Brazil. It is served for breakfast or tea time. The recipe below is for the sweet version. You can also make a salty bolinho de chuva by replacing the sugar with one teaspoon of salt and some chopped green onions.

Either way, sweet or salty they are delicious. When you deep fry them they get some crunchy peaks that are fun to eat. Bolinho de chuva means “donut of rain”. And they are best when fresh. So, if you want them for breakfast, prepare them in the same day, they are easy to do. You can have your Brazilian donuts done in about 30 minutes.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup corn starch

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs

4 tbs granulated sugar

Pinch of salt

Oil to deep fry or shortening.

Sugar with cinnamon to sprinkle over.

PREPARE:

In a large bowl, mix in the eggs, sugar and pinch of salt. While mixing with a wood spoon add the flour, corn starch, baking powder and milk until you get a batter similar to cake batter.

Preheat the fryer to 350 degrees F, using two table spoons, take a spoon of batter and scrape off the batter into the fryer using the second spoon. Fry about six doughnuts each time until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes, flipping just once for overall browning. (The doughnut will flip by itself). Remove the doughnuts from the oil and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with powdered sugar with cinnamon and serve.

Hint: The fryer temperature is very important. If it is too hot, the doughnuts will burn outside and be doughy inside.

Makes about 25 doughnut balls. Kids will love it.

Brazilian Style Flan

Directions

1 cup white sugar

4 eggs, separated

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

3/4 cup milk, plus

2 tablespoons milk

1.Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2.Melt the sugar in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Once the sugar becomes a golden brown syrup after about 10 minutes, pour it immediately into a round baking dish, swirling so that the syrup coats all sides of the dish. Set aside to cool.

3.Place the egg yolks into a blender and blend on medium for 5 minutes, then add condensed milk, 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk, and egg whites. Continue to blend until all ingredients are combined. Pour egg mixture into the baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Line a roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel. Place baking dish on towel, inside roasting pan, and place roasting pan on oven rack. Fill roasting pan with boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the baking dish.

4.Bake in the preheated oven until a knife inserted 1 inch from the edge comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. The center of the flan will still be soft. Allow flan to cool before unmolding onto a plate. Refrigerate before serving.

Brazilian Pecan-Cinnamon Truffles

One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 ounce white chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon salted butter, plus more for rubbing

1 cup chopped toasted pecans

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. In a medium nonstick saucepan, combine the condensed milk with the white chocolate and 1 teaspoon of butter. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until shiny and very thick, 15 to 18 minutes. Spread the mixture in a shallow dish and let cool for 15 minutes.

2. Arrange 30 paper candy cups on a baking sheet. In a shallow bowl, mix the pecans with the cinnamon. Rub your hands with butter. Scoop up rounded teaspoons of the candy mixture and roll them into balls. Roll the candy in the pecan mixture and set them in a paper cup. Repeat to form the remaining candies. Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature.

Make Ahead The candies can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Notes Variations: The candies can also be rolled in shredded coconut, sliced almonds, chopped pistachios or rainbow sprinkles.

A coconut pudding

Ingredients

1 l whole milk

250 ml coconut milk

7 tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp vanilla paste

Syrup

¼ cup white sugar

1/2 cup water

100 g pitted dry prunes

Method

Prunes Syrup

Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan and cook it until it becomes a syrup. Add the prunes and give it a stir. Cook it for a few minutes until prunes and moist and soft. Reserve it.

In a saucepan, combine milk, cornstarch, coconut milk and vanilla paste. Stir well until completely dissolved.

Place the pan in medium-heat, stir it constantly while simmering it gently for about 15 minutes or until you have a very thick custard.

Slightly glaze the jelly mold with a bit of oil.

Pour the custard it the mold. Let it cool and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until set.

Unmold the manjar on a flat plate. Pour the prunes syrup over the pudding and your manjar branco is ready to be served.

PASSION FRUIT MOUSSE 1 cup (250 ml.) whipping cream

1 cup (250 ml.) sweetened-condensed milk

1/2 cup (125 ml.) frozen passion fruit juice concentrate

(optional) one fresh passion fruit

Put all the ingredients in a blender, and blend at low speed until the liquid becomes light at fluffy. Pour the mixture into a serving bowl, or individual dessert dishes. If fresh passionfruit is available, spread a small amount of pulp, including seeds on top of the mixture. Chill for at least 2 hours prior to serving. Serves 4.