Brigadeiro

Brigadeiro is a lovely Brazilian chocolate candy treat. Brigadeiros have a rich fudge-caramel flavor. The Brigadeiro is named for Brazilian Edwardo Gomes who was active in Brazilian military and politics. This dessert was created during Gomes's presidential candidacy in 1945. This version is the traditional recipe. Other flavors have been developed, which I will have to try another day. I was introduced to these tasty treats by Rich and Christen at a Brazil night dinner at their house in honor of their friend Nick visiting from Brazil.

Like many Brazilian desserts, Brigadeiros feature sweeten condensed milk. Cooking the sweetened condensed milk gives this dessert a nice caramel flavor that blends well with the chocolate. Like any candy, while making the Brigadeiros, it is important to keep stirring to prevent burning. You can make these treats ahead. They will last in the refrigerator for about a week.

Brigadeiros 

• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• dash of salt
• chocolate sprinkles
• mini baking cups for serving

Butter a large plate and set aside. In a heavy bottom pan, heat the sweetened condensed milk, cocoa powder, butter, and salt on medium for about 15 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to stir. The mixture will slowly thicken. It is done when the spoon runs through the middle and it does not run back together for about 3 seconds. Pour the mixture onto the buttered plate and refrigerate for one hour. Set up mini baking cups and a bowl of sprinkles. Before rolling the dough into balls, butter your hands. Use about a tablespoon of dough to create a ball, then roll each ball in  sprinkles. Place each Brigadeiro in a mini baking cup. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Onioniest Burgers

MDS is a burger fan. When we eat out, he frequently orders burgers. Recently, we ate at Scratch on Lake in Oak Park and found a burger called the French Onion Burger. The burger was inspired by French onion soup. Of course MDS had it without the cheese. It was a very oniony burger. So this recipe is inspired by that tasty burger.

When I made these burgers, I made two large half-pound burgers. But you could easily make these burgers smaller or even slider size burgers. For fancy burgers, I prefer pretzel buns or brioche buns. But I also like English muffins for burger buns. I usually broil the burgers, but you could use any cooking method that you might like.

Onioniest Burger 

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 envelope onion soup mix

Toppings

• caramelized onions
• crispy french fried onion

In a bowl, blend the ground beef, onion, egg, and onion soup mix.  Form into burgers of your preferred size. Place burgers on a pan and broil for about 10 minutes. Flip burgers and broil for 5-10 minutes more. Serve the burgers on the buns of your choice topped with caramelized onions and french fried onions. Enjoy!

Fruit Cocktail Dessert

This dessert is easy to make and quite delicious. When I was a kid, I loved fruit cocktail, especially the one or two cherries that you might be lucky to find. This cake uses a can of fruit cocktail, so I guess it is a variation on a fruitcake. But it is not like a stereotypical fruitcake that is hard and stiff. This cake is soft and chewy with a sweet fruit flavor.

When I made this cake, I did not have a 10x7 pan as called for in the recipe, so I used a 9x9 pan. I just had to adjust the cooking time to about 35 minutes instead of 40 minutes. The recipe says to serve the cake topped with whipped cream. Next time, I will have maraschino cherries to add one to the top of each piece.

Fruit Cocktail Dessert 

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 egg
• 1 medium size can fruit cocktail, drained
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Sift flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together. Then mix together the dry ingredients with the egg and fruit cocktail. Pour batter into a greased 10x7 pan. Mix together the brown sugar and chopped pecans. Spread over the top of the batter. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve the cake topped with whipped cream. Enjoy!