The brigadeiro(Portuguese pronunciation: [bɾiga'dejɾu]) is a traditional Brazilian dessert, created by a confectioner from Rio de Janeiro, Heloisa Nabuco de Oliveira. It is made of condensed milk, cocoa powder, butter, and chocolate sprinkles covering the outside layer.
It is a popular confection throughout the country, especially for festive events. Brigadeiros are commonly made at home, and also found in bakeries and snack shops. A brigadeiro is generally shaped into small balls covered in chocolate sprinkles and placed in a small cupcake liner. The mixture may also be poured into a small container, and eaten with a spoon, and this is known as a brigadeiro de colher (literally, "spoon brigadeiro"). Brigadeiro can be found now in different countries as a result of Brazilian immigration.
In recent years, flavor and coating variations on the traditional chocolate brigadeiros have become popular. This variation of flavors and easy manipulation of the original dessert lead into a trend of different recipes, such as cakes, tarts, ice cream or even bread.
