My close friend Daniela Moreira sent me this recipe for brigadeiros- the perfect party food from Brazil! Dani is from Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil and is the mom to Analua and Francisco.
Increasing your children’s global awareness means making tiny decisions to infuse different cultural opportunities into everyday life. The next time you are planning a party, internationalize the kids’ experience by making some Brazilian party candies. They are fast, easy, delicious, they require only a couple of ingredients, and your kids can help you make them (that’s the best part!). These caramel-type brigadeiros and beijinhos are typical for kids birthday parties all over Brazil.
Remember to show your kids where Brazil is on the map, and remind them that Brazilians speak Portuguese (not Spanish!). Practice saying the names of the candies: bree-gah-DAY-ee-rows (rolling your r’s slightly) and bay-ee-JEE-nyos. My friend Dani says:
if you have a kid’s party in Brazil, you have to make these candies, otherwise it is not a kid’s party… Beijinhos and brigadeiros are the most common candies; we also have the same basic recipe made with strawberry (Nesquik), pineapple, peanuts (we call them cajuzinho, because we make them in the shape of cashew nuts), walnuts (which we also have at weddings). They are a national passion for Brazilians!
Brigadeiros and Beijinhos (Birthday Party Brazilian Candies)
– 1 can of sweetened, condensed milk
– 3 to 4 tablespoons of Nesquik (or other hot chocolate mix)
– 1/2 c dry coconut
– 1 tablespoon of butter/ margarine
For the brigadeiros, pour the condensed milk and the hot chocolate mix into a saucepan. If making beijinhos, do not use the hot chocolate mix. Cook on the stove top without stop stirring until it gets thick (and while stirring you can see the bottom of the pan. Let it cool down completely. Rub your hands with some butter, and roll the mixture to make little balls. Then, roll them in either:
1) chocolate sprinkles (to make the brigadeiros)
2) unsweetened coconut (to make the beijinhos)
So much fun to make, and so good to eat! We made these with the 2nd graders at our school when they were learning about Brazil, and the kids loved it.
Use cocoa powder instead og nesquick! 3 spoons of cocoa powder + 1 can of condensed milk + 1 spoon of butter.
Also, you MUST add one clove in the middle of the beijinhos, otherwise they are not beijinhos!
Oh, and you forgot to say that the word “beijinhos” means little kisses! 🙂
How many does this recipe serve?
It made a LOT but I’m not sure of the actual number. If 30 were on a plate, maybe it made 60?