CAIPIRINHA TRUFFLES: Cachaça Day

Today is Cachaça Day. Cachaça, a Brazilian white rum made from sugar cane, is the main ingredient in the Caipirinha, the national cocktail! How can you go wrong with sugar, cachaça, and lime? You can enjoy a caipirinha at home, but if you add chocolate, you can make Caipirinha Truffles! It's the perfect way to celebrate Cachaça Day!

CAIPIRINHA TRUFFLES

Ingredients
14 ounces white chocolate, chopped (make sure it's 'real' white chocolate)
Grated zest of one lime
1/4 cup whipping cream
3 Tbsp Cachaça
cocoa powder

Directions
Combine chocolate, lime zest, and cream in metal bowl; place it over saucepan over simmering water. Stir until chocolate is melted.
Remove from heat, add cachaça, and stir until smooth.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2-3 hours --or until firm enough to form balls.
Using a scoop or teaspoon, scoop out chocolate mixture (while cold and firm) and form balls. They don't need to be perfectly round.
Roll balls in cocoa powder.
Keep refrigerated.

Cachaça Chocolate Brigadeiros: International Cachaça Day

Today is International Cachaça Day! Cachaca is a liquor made from fermented sugarcane, and is the most popular distilled alcoholic beverage in Brazil. Caipirinha, the traditional Brazilian drink, is made with cachaça. So to celebrate today's holiday, I'm definitely having a Caipirinha, and if you want to have something chocolate, you can make the traditional Brazilian candy -- Brigadeiros and add cachaça for a kick!

I first tasted cachaça in Brazil when I was there on a Fulbright. What a great liquor.. a bit like rum.. but not. And day, in my search for the very best pinga, as it's colloquially called, I found myself in the back country at a large still. I felt I had wandered into the back hills of Kentucky. The men operating the still, probably not a legal endeavor, had the wild look of way too much alcohol of way too high a percentage. Their acacia was amazing but not very smooth. Nevertheless, the many memorable cachaça drinks I enjoyed in Brazil stayed with me. You can find cachaça at bars and liquor stores all over the U.S.

For the recipe today, I decided not to post a cocktail recipe, although there are many chocolate cachaça drink recipes. Instead I'm posting a Brazilian treat--Brigadeiros (link to the non-alcoholic ones from Jane Vana Bishop). But here is a great chocolate 'adult' version of this fudgy truffle candy. This recipe is from Luxury Experience using Leblon Cachaca. The Leblon distillery is in Patos de Minas in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The area has a great microclimate and high altitude and produces taller and juicier sugar cane. What makes Leblon Cachaca different from other cachacas is that Leblon uses XO Cognac casks to 'rest' the liquor for up to six months to smooth and round out the flavors. Leblon Cachaca is 40% alcohol.

The following recipe is easy--and delicious. Of course you can use any brand of cachaça you have!

CACHACA CHOCOLATE BRIGADEIROS

Ingredients 
1 14 ounce can Sweetened Condensed Milk
2/3 can Milk (use Sweetened Condensed Milk can as measure)
1/3 can Leblon Cachaça (use Sweetened Condensed Milk can as measure)
2 Tbsp Dark Cocoa
1 Tbsp unsalted Butter
1 Jar Chocolate Sprinkles (Jimmies)

Directions 
In medium pan, add sweetened condensed milk, butter, cocoa, and milk, and stir well to combine. Cook over medium heat stirring with long handled wooden spoon until mixture starts to thicken approximately 10 minutes, and then add Leblon Cachaça.
Continue stirring while cooking until chocolate mixture comes away from sides of pan and starts to look dry-- approximately 13 minutes.
Pour into bowl and let cool.
When completely cool, butter your hands, use teaspoon amount of chocolate and roll into ball, and then roll ball in chocolate sprinkles.
Complete process until all chocolate is used.
Put candy in paper cups (or on parchment paper), and set in refrigerator until ready to eat.

CAIPIRINHA TRUFFLES: National Cachaça Day

Today is National Cachaça Day. Cachaça, a Brazilian white rum made from sugar cane, is the main ingredient in the Caipirinha, the national cocktail! How can you go wrong with sugar, cachaça, and lime? You can enjoy a caipirinha at home, but if you add chocolate, you can make Caipirinha Truffles! Perfect to celebrate National Cachaça Day!

CAIPIRINHA TRUFFLES

Ingredients
14 ounces white chocolate, chopped
Grated zest of one lime
1/4 cup whipping cream
3 Tbsp Cachaça
cocoa powder

Directions
Combine chocolate, lime zest, and cream in metal bowl; place it over saucepan over simmering water. Stir until chocolate is melted.
Remove from heat, add cachaça, and stir until smooth.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2-3 hours --or until firm enough to form balls.
Using a scoop or teaspoon, scoop out chocolate mixture (while cold and firm) and form balls. They don't need to be perfectly round.
Roll balls in cocoa powder.
Keep refrigerated.

Cachaça Chocolate Brigadeiros: International Cachaça Day

Today is International Cachaça Day! Cachaca is a beverage I can get behind. Caipirinha, the traditional Brazilian drink, is made with cachaça. Cachaca is a liquor made from fermented sugarcane, and is the most popular distilled alcoholic beverage in Brazil. So to celebrate, I'm definitely having a Caipirinha, and if you want to have something chocolate, you can make the traditional Brazilian candy--Brigadeiros and add cachaça for a kick!

I first tasted cachaça in Brazil when I was there on a Fulbright. What a great liquor.. a bit like rum.. but not. In my search for the very best pinga, as it's colloquially called, I found myself in the back country at a large still. I felt I had wandered into the back hills of Kentucky. The men operating the still, probably not a legal endeavor, had the wild look of way too much alcohol of way too high a percentage. Their acacia was amazing but not very smooth. Nevertheless, the many memorable cachaça drinks I enjoyed in Brazil stayed with me,. You can find cachaça at bars and liquor stores in the U.S.

For the recipe today, I decided not to post a cocktail recipe, although there are many chocolate cachaça drink recipes. Instead I'm posting a Brazilian treat--Brigadeiros (link to the non-alcoholic ones from Jane Vana Bishop). But here is a great chocolate 'adult' version of this fudgy truffle candy. This recipe is from Luxury Experience using Leblon Cachaca. The Leblon distillery is in Patos de Minas in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The area has a great microclimate and high altitude and produces taller and juicier sugar cane. What makes Leblon Cachaca different from other cachacas is that Leblon uses XO Cognac casks to 'rest' the liquor for up to six months to smooth and round out the flavors. Leblon Cachaca is 40% alcohol.

The following recipe is easy--and delicious. Of course you can use any brand of cachaça you have!

CACHACA CHOCOLATE BRIGADEIROS

Ingredients 
1 14 ounce can Sweetened Condensed Milk
2/3 can Milk (use Sweetened Condensed Milk can as measure)
1/3 can Leblon Cachaça (use Sweetened Condensed Milk can as measure)
2 Tbsp Dark Cocoa
1 Tbsp unsalted Butter
1 Jar Chocolate Sprinkles (Jimmies)

Directions 
In medium pan, add sweetened condensed milk, butter, cocoa, and milk, and stir well to combine. Cook over medium heat stirring with long handled wooden spoon until mixture starts to thicken approximately 10 minutes, and then add Leblon Cachaça.
Continue stirring while cooking until chocolate mixture comes away from sides of pan and starts to look dry-- approximately 13 minutes.
Pour into bowl and let cool.
When completely cool, butter your hands, use teaspoon amount of chocolate and roll into ball, and then roll ball in chocolate sprinkles.
Complete process until all chocolate is used.
Put candy in paper cups (or on parchment paper), and set in refrigerator until ready to eat.

Caipirinha Truffles: Cachaça Day

Today is National Cachaça Day. Cachaça, a Brazilian white rum made from sugar cane, is the main ingredient in the Caipirinha, the national cocktail! How can you go wrong with sugar, cachaça, and lime? You can enjoy a caipirinha at home, and if you add chocolate, you can make Caipirinha Truffles! Perfect to celebrate National Cachaça Day!

CAIPIRINHA TRUFFLES

Ingredients
14 ounces white chocolate, chopped
Grated zest of one lime
1/4 cup whipping cream
3 Tbsp Cachaça
cocoa powder

Directions
Combine chocolate, lime zest, and cream in metal bowl; place it over saucepan over simmering water. Stir until chocolate is melted.
Remove from heat, add cachaça, and stir until smooth.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2-3 hours --or until firm enough to form balls.
Using a scoop or teaspoon, scoop out chocolate mixture (while cold and firm) and form balls. They don't need to be perfectly round.
Roll balls in cocoa powder.
Keep refrigerated.

Chocolate Brigadeiros: Perfect for the Holidays

There's something to be said for celebrating Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere. We in the Northern hemisphere think Santa and snow and icicles.. sleighbells and reindeer. And these same images persist in countries such as Brazil, although it's summer there. No snow in Rio. Go to the end of the post for some holiday sand sculptures. I thought for today, I'd honor a favorite Brazilian candy that's perfect for the holidays: the chocolate fudgy Brigadeiro.

My Facebook friend Jane Vana Bishop sent me a great and easy recipe. These definitely have a place on the Christmas candy/cookie tray. This recipe istraditional and non-alcoholic. Always good if the kids are around.

But if you want to add some kick to your Brigadeiros, try this 'adult' recipe that uses cacacha, the Brazilian national drink! Cacacha, a liquor made from fermented sugarcane. This recipe is from Luxury Experience using Leblon Cachaca. The Leblon distillery is in Patos de Minas in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The area has a great microclimate and high altitude and produces taller and juicier sugar cane. What makes Leblon Cachaca different from other cachacas is that Leblon uses XO Cognac casks to 'rest' the liquor for up to six months to smooth and round out the flavors. Leblon Cachaca is 40% alcohol. The following recipe is easy--and delicious. Of course you can use any brand of Cachaca you have!

CACHACA CHOCOLATE BRIGADEIROS

Ingredients 
1 14 oz. Can Sweetened Condensed Milk
2/3 Can Milk (use Sweetened Condensed Milk can as measure)
1/3 Can Leblon Cachaça (use Sweetened Condensed Milk can as measure)
2 Tablespoons Dark Cocoa
1 Tablespoon sweet Butter
1 Jar Chocolate Sprinkles (Jimmies)

Directions 
In medium pan, add sweetened condensed milk, butter, cocoa and milk, and stir well to combine. Cook over medium heat stirring with a long handled wooden spoon until mixture starts to thicken approximately 10 minutes, and then add Leblon Cachaça.
Continue stirring while cooking until chocolate mixture comes away from sides of pan and starts to look dry-- approximately 13 minutes.
Pour into bowl and let cool.
When completely cool, butter your hands, use teaspoon amount of chocolate and roll into ball, and then roll ball in chocolate sprinkles.
Complete process until all of chocolate is used.
Put candy in paper cups (or on parchment paper), and set in refrigerator until ready to eat.

***

Copacabana Beach, Rio, Brazil

Cachaca Chocolate Brigadeiro: International Cachaca Day

Today is International Cachaca Day. Cachaca is famous as the main ingredient in caipirinha, the national cocktail of Brazil. Cachaca is a liquor made from fermented sugarcane, and is the most popular distilled alcoholic beverage in Brazil.

I first tasted cachaca in Brazil when I was there on a Fulbright. What a great liquor.. a bit like rum.. but not. In my search for the very best pinga, as it is colloquially called it, we found ourselves one day in the back country at a large still. Surely we had wandered into the back hills of Kentucky. The men operating the still, probably not a legal endeavor, had the wild look of way too much alcohol of too high a percentage. Nevertheless, the many memorable cachaca drinks stayed with me, and now I find cachaca at bars and liquor stores in the U.S.

For the recipe today, I decided not to post a cocktail recipe, although there are many chocolate cachaca drink recipes, but instead for that fabulous Brazilian treat--Brigadeiro. Of course, I always want a chocolate version. This is a great chocolate 'adult' version of this fudgy truffle candy. Recipe from Luxury Experience using Leblon Cachaca. The Leblon distillery is in Patos de Minas in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The area has a great microclimate and high altitude and produces taller and juicier sugar cane. What makes Leblon Cachaca different from other cachacas is that Leblon uses XO Cognac casks to 'rest' the liquor for up to six months to smooth and round out the flavors. Leblon Cachaca is 40% alcohol.

The following recipe is  easy--and delicious. Of course you can use any brand of Cachaca you have!

CACHACA CHOCOLATE BRIGADEIRO

Ingredients
1 14 oz. Can Sweetened Condensed Milk
2/3 Can Milk (use Sweetened Condensed Milk can)
1/3 Can Leblon Cachaça (use Sweetened Condensed Milk can)
2 Tablespoons Dark Cocoa
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Jar Chocolate Sprinkles (Jimmies)

Directions
In medium pan, add sweetened condensed milk, butter, cocoa and milk, and stir well to combine. Cook over medium heat stirring with a long handled wooden spoon until mixture starts to thicken approximately 10 minutes, and then add Leblon Cachaça.
Continue stirring while cooking until chocolate mixture comes away from sides of pan and starts to look dry-- approximately 13 minutes.
Pour in a bowl and let cool.
When completely cool, butter your hands, use teaspoon amount of chocolate and roll into ball, and then roll ball in chocolate sprinkles. Complete process until all of chocolate is used.
Put candy in paper cups (or on parchment paper), and set in refrigerator until ready to eat.