Brigadeiro

I happened upon these tiny Brazilian treats sometime last week and filed the recipe away in my "to make in the future" folder.  Well, "the future" happened to be yesterday.  (Read:  Making dessert is a lot more fun than writing papers.)

I've gotta tell you, these little dudes are delicious.  They're basically bite-sized chocolate caramels, with bonus points for being coated in sprinkles.  (YES, I'm 26 and still go goofy over anything with sprinkles!)  You'll know the condensed milk mixture is ready to come off the heat when it thickens up.  You'll be able to see the bottom of the pan briefly as you stir and scrape the bottom.  It took mine right at ten minutes to reach that point. 

Oh, and save yourself the headache and grease your hands when it's time to roll these into balls.  You won't regret it.  I tried to be lazy at first and ended up with gooey choco-Frankenhands.

* For gluten-free diners, use Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk and gluten-free sprinkles.  According to the GF Foodlist, Guittard semi-sweet chocolate sprinkles, Betty Crocker candy sprinkles, and Betty Crocker Decor Selects sprinkles are all gluten-free.

Adapted from Allrecipes
Makes approximately 20 brigadeiros

INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp white sugar
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
Sprinkles

DIRECTIONS
1.  In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine all ingredients. Cook, stirring, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow mixture to return to room temperature. (You may also refrigerate the mixture for ease of handling.)

2.  Grease your hands with butter or cooking spray to prevent sticking.  Form mixture into small balls and rolled in sprinkles to coat.  Truffles may be eaten at once or chilled until serving.