Guest Post by Lori Rice, Fake Food Free
A powerful sweet tooth has been known to run in my family so it is no surprise that when presented with a new culture, I often head straight for the candies and desserts. This was the case when we moved to Brazil two years ago due to my husband’s job. I dove head first into learning all I could about local foods, especially those sweet treats that each culture seems to perfect so well in their own special way.
We are living in the south-central part of the country and when it comes to desserts staple ingredients include sweetened condensed milk, coconut, lime and banana. In addition, what my culture would consider more exotic local fruits make their way into cakes and cookies as well such as goiaba (guava) and my personal favorite, maracujá (passion fruit).
Step into any bakery in the city and you will find a gorgeous display case of dessert staring back at you. This is often where I find torta de limão (lime pie) that is smooth and sweet with a slight tart flavor that can only be created with a perfect combination of lime zest and juice.
Just below the torta usually sits beijinhos, a word which actually translates to “little kisses”. These bite size, and rather attractive, treats are made of brigadeiro (a chocolate doce de leite), wrapped around a coconut candy. Each of which begins its journey as sweetened condensed milk.
The adventures in sweet stuff continue when you attend a one of the food festivals held here several times throughout the year. Multiple vendors set up shop selling traditional Brazilian treats.
You can find plenty of cocada which is shredded coconut cooked with sugar and sometimes sweetened condensed milk is added as well as fruit. The cocada can be formed into small mounds and dried so it is sugary and somewhat crumbly, but my preferred way to enjoy it is in a cup when it is still smooth and sticky. My very favorite is the cocada with passion fruit which makes it a little tarter and less sugary sweet with an added crunch from the black seeds of the fruit.
Peanuts often make their way into Brazilian desserts; however, peanut butter is not common in Brazil at all. Pé de moleque is a peanut treat which is very similar to a peanut brittle, but has a much softer texture, almost like a cross between brittle and a firm fudge.
One of my husband’s favorites is doce de abóbora, or sweet pumpkin. In this candy, pumpkin is prepared with sugar and scooped out by the spoonful to dry or sliced into pieces. I am a big pumpkin fan, but I just can’t seem to develop a fondness for this treat. The pumpkin has a very raw flavor that I don’t find appealing, however, this is a very popular candy around the area.
So as you can see, an experience in Brazil is not without plenty of desserts and sweet snacks. It’s important to note that these types of treats in Brazil redefine sweet for many outsiders. The sugary texture and abundant use of sweetened condensed milk result in the type of texture and flavor that almost hurts your teeth.
It only takes a little bit to satisfy a craving, which is probably a good thing. The problem is in an hour or so you’ll be back for more!
Beijinhos
2 cans sweetened condensed milk
4 tbsp butter, plus extra for rolling out candy
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/3 cup finely ground coconut
Sugar for rolling candy
You will be making two pans of candy – one with brigadeiro (chocolate, caramel) and one with coconut.
Brigadeiro candy
Heat one can of sweetened condensed milk and 2 tbsp of butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly. You have to continue this process until the milk turns into a thick caramel-like substance also called doce de leite. It is ready when you stir and can start seeing the bottom of the pan. It takes about 15 minutes.
Once thickened remove from heat and add 2 heaping tbsp of cocoa powder. Stir to combine. Put mixture into a bowl to cool.
Coconut candy
Heat one can of sweetened condensed milk and 2 tbsp of butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly until it reaches the same consistency as instructed with the brigadeiro.
Once thickened remove it from heat and stir in the coconut. Put the mixture into a separate bowl to cool.
Coat your hands with a little butter. For both candies roll out small log shapes about one inch long and roll them in sugar to coat. Next, simply twist the two candies together and roll in sugar again. Serve or store in an airtight container.
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Lori Rice is a real-food-lovin' freelance health and travel writer with a background in nutritional and exercise sciences. You can find her sharing her experiences as a US ex-pat living in Brazil at Blondie in Brazil or catch up on her latest foodie adventures at Fake Food Free.
