More than a cookbook, My Rio de Janeiro (Kyle Books USA, November 2013) by Leticia Moreinos Schwartz is an invitation (inspiration) to travel.
Leticia takes us on trips outside the city, to beach resort of Buzios, three hours away, Paraty, a coastal town midway between Rio and Sao Paulo and Teresopolis which she describes as 'a few miles and a world away from Rio'.
In Fifth chapter 'Flamengo & Botafogo' she offers sweet recipe which I selected today.
Molten Brigadeiro Cake Bolinho Quente de Brigadeiro
Irajá is one of the most exciting restaurants in Rio to open in recent years. Not all of its Brazilian food is traditional, yet none of it feels inauthentic either. There is a serious commitment to Brazilian flavors, wedded to international classics and a determination to make ingredients shine. It’s as if the chef, Pedro Aragão, has simply discovered a cuisine all of his own, in which the most traditional Brazilian sweet, like brigadeiro for example, turns into a hot chocolate cake. I decided to take the idea a little further and instantly thought of a Molte Brigadeiro cake and that irresistible flow of melted fudge, since so many Brazilians (including me) can’t even wait until their brigadeiro is cool before indulging. My experimentation turned into a great recipe!
Serves 6
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
2 oz (60g) 70% dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for the molds
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon (12g) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup (40g) all-purpose flour, sifted, plus more for the molds
Special Equipment:
6 individual foil cups, buttered and floured
COOKING TIP: A word of advice: butter and flour the pan really well. It’s so frustrating when the cake doesn’t come out of the pan properly, with part of it still clinging to the pan. So don’t rely on a thin coating of baking spray; use soft butter—not melted—and shake off the excess flour.
Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
In a heavy saucepan, place the condensed milk, cocoa powder and chocolate, and bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly.
When the mixture begins to bubble and the chocolate melts, reduce the heat to low and continue whisking for another 3 to 5 minutes until the mixture has thickened like fudge. You should be able to tilt the pan and the whole batter will slide, leaving the sticky fudge on the bottom of the pan. Slide the batter into a large bowl without scraping it, As you don’t want to incorporate any of the thick residue left on the bottom of the pan.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Pour the butter into the chocolate mixture and whisk vigorously until smooth. At first the mixture will totally curdle and break. You will think this recipe cannot possibly work, but keep whisking constantly until the mixture comes together again.
In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, yolks, salt, sugar and vanilla. Add this into the chocolate mixture and whisk until incorporated.
Add the flour and mix until just blended, using a spatula. Pour the batter into foil cups filling them almost to the top (leave about ¼ inch). You can prepare the recipe up to this point and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Bake for 7 to 9 minutes, or until the edges are firm but the center is still soft. Invert onto a dessert plate. Serve with ice cream (pistachio, ginger, coconut or vanilla are all flavors that work well with this dessert).
(* Recipe from My Rio de Janeiro by Leticia Moreinos Schwartz– Kyle Books USA, November 2013- Food photography by Kate Sears, all rights reserved)