Brigadeiro is a Brazilian chocolate candy - a delicious and slighty chewy fudge truffle made by cooking condensed milk with cocoa powder. The candies are traditionally rolled in chocolate sprinkles and served in individual paper cups. The candy is named after a famous 1940's Brigadier General named Eduardo Gomes, whose political supporters sold this chocolate sweet in fundraisers to raise money for his presidential campaign.  Read more about the brigadier and his namesake candy in this article by Patricia Ribeiro, About.com's Brazil Travel Expert. 

This rich chocolate pie has a brigadeiro filling in a cookie crumb crust, and is topped with chocolate sprinkles just like the candy.  This pie is delicious served with a dollop of whipped cream. 

See Also

Key Lime Pie - Pie de Limon

Toasted Coconut Ice Cream Pie - Pie Helado de Coco

Apple Quince Pie with Walnuts and Cranberries

Ingredients

• For the crust:
• 8 ounces graham crackers (or cookie of choice)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• For the filling:
• 1 teaspoon gelatin powder
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 14-ounce cans condensed milk
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 8 tablespoons cocoa powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ____
• Chocolate sprinkles for decoration
• Whipped cream for serving (optional)

• Prep Time: 90 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes

• Total Time: 105 minutes
• Yield: 1 9-inch pie

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F).  

Place the cookies, the sugar, and a pinch of salt in the food processor and process until mixture is completely ground into small crumbs.  Add the melted butter to the crumb mixture and mix until well blended.

Evenly press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart or pie pan.  Bake the pie crust in the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the crust is very lightly browned and fragrant.

 Set crust aside to cool.

Place 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl and sprinkle the powdered gelatin over the water.  Set aside.

Place the condensed milk, butter, cocoa powder, and salt in a heavy saucepan.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture turns shiny and thickens, about 5-10 minutes.  To test if it's ready, drag a wooden spoon or a spatula across the bottom of the pan  You should be able to see the bottom of the pan for several seconds before the mixture closes back over it again.

Remove the chocolate mixture from the heat and whisk in the cream, the vanilla, and the gelatin (dissolved in water).  Mix well, then transfer the mixture to fill the crust.  Sprinkle the top of the pie generously with the chocolate sprinkles. Chill the pie in the refrigerator until it has cooled and is set, about 2-3 hours.  Let the pie come to room temperature before serving. Store the pie in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, for up to one week.