Brigadeiro or Brazilian chocolate truffles are one of the truest pleasures; deeply chocolatey, intensely rich and decadently sweet, these little treats are a perfect addition to any celebration. Made with rich dark chocolate and luscious sweetened condensed milk, brigadeiros make the perfect gift and can be enjoyed as a snack with coffee, as a dessert or simply on its own.

Ingredients (makes 24-26)

• 150 grams of dark chocolate; I prefer 100 grams of bitter (containing 70% cocoa solids) and 50 grams of semi sweet (containing 50% cocoa solids) but you can use your favourite
• A can (400 grams) of sweetened condensed milk
• A generous pinch of salt ( I like about 1/8th tsp of sea salt)
• 20 grams of butter and a little more to grease a plate and your palms later
• A total of half a cup of sprinkles of your choice; I like chocolate vermicelli sprinkles, desiccated coconut, crushed nuts, rainbow sprinkles

Method:

• Add the condensed milk, butter, salt and the dark chocolate into a cool pot.
• Place the pot on low heat and melt the chocolate and mix well to combine stirring constantly and firmly to ensure the sugars don’t catch and burn at the bottom of the pan.
• Stir over low heat until the chocolate mixture is thick and takes at least 5 seconds to rush in to fill the gap you make at the bottom of the pot/pan with your spatula; this should take no longer than 10-15 minutes from start to finish depending on the surface area of your pot/pan.
• Take it off the heat and stir for a couple of minutes to cool slightly.
• Thoroughly grease a dish/plate with some butter and transfer the warm Brigadeiro mixture into the dish.
• Bring it to room temperature and then refrigerate to chill for at least 1 hour.
• Once it’s chilled and fairly firm , grease your palms with a spot of butter and roll about half a tablespoons full of the mixture into balls/truffles; place the mixture back in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes if you find it too soft and sticky.
• Roll the balls/truffles in sprinkles/ chopped nuts/ dried coconut/ cocoa powder and set aside in little liners.
• Rest them in a cool place for about 30 minutes before serving (not in the fridge if you are using any sugary sprinkle such as peanut brittle as it can get watery in the fridge) and enjoy as a snack with coffee, as a dessert or simply on its own.
• Store them in a cool and dry place in an air-tight container and enjoy their chocolate-y freshness for up to 4 days.