Shhh…

Don’t tell.

I feel weird saying it.

Okay, here it is: I always wanted to be a writer. A food writer.

I know. Me? A writer? A paid writer!?

No way!

But I briefly lived that dream as a “reporter” for Gael Greene’s Insatiable Critic.

Notepad in hand, hair in a smart bun, glasses always sliding down my nose, I canvassed the streets of New York looking for that new hot food item, the inside ice cream scoop, the baked good buzz.

One evening, I stumbled upon a little bakery with a name I couldn’t pronounce and a smell I couldn’t resist. “Brigadeiro… this has to be good,” I thought.

Because, what the hell is a brigadeiro?

After a bit of investigating, i.e. tasting, I determined the brigadeiro is … well … it’s like a truffle … nearly … kinda … or maybe a caramel. It’s a Brazilian treat that is stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth decadent and incredibly cute.

I can’t remember what I liked more, the out of this world sweet or entering the bakery and saying, “Hi, I’m Kaitlin. A writer from Insatiable Critic.”

“A writer.” Love that.

Maybe it hasn’t turned out as I imagined, but that doesn’t mean it can’t.

In my mind’s eye, I am sitting at a sturdy desk, riffling through notes, making deadlines, accumulating bylines. Rumpled papers litter my floor and my works are bound in a thick three-ring.

“Give Me Shelter” plays around me as I chase down that next lead in my slightly wrinkled Ann Taylor pantsuit. It’s all black coffee and chewed on Bic pens.

A girl can dream.

For now, I have my blog, and another blog, and I edit a bit on the side.

And currently, I have this batch of Big Dreams Brigadeiro I whipped up to serve as a reminder that it’s never too late to make something of myself.

Here’s hoping, oh yeah and a recipe:

So few ingredients. Just 4.

Put the condensed milk, cocoa powder, coffee powder, and butter in a sauce pan over medium heat.

Cook until thick and admittedly kind of gross looking. This will take about 6 – 8 minutes. Set aside and let cool completely. If you want to expedite the process, place in fridge for, ehhh 20 minutes.

Use a tablespoon to scoop mounds of mixture and roll into balls. Then roll them into the toppings you choose.

The classic is chocolate sprinkles, but coconut is great, a little pistachio, a rainbow sprinkle deal. Do what you want.

Here’s my little desk, where I dream my little dreams, hoping one day they will become reality.

Big Dreams Brigadeiro

  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients: 
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon of instant coffee powder
3 tablespoons of cocoa powder
1 tablespoon of butter

Topppings:
crushed pistachios
chocolate sprinkles
rainbow sprinkles
cocoa nibs

Directions: 

Place all ingredients in a medium sauce pan.

Cook over medium, while stirring, for 6 – 8 minutes until thick.

Set aside to cool.

Once cool, roll into balls and roll in toppings.

Eat!

If you aren’t going to serve immediately, keep in fridge.

Will stay good in an airtight container for a week.

Wanna read my original piece? Click here! 

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