Friday, April 3, 2009

Pistachio brigadeiro

Pistachio brigadeiro

As most of you know, I’m a huge movie fan – hence the name I chose for my blog. But I also love reading, even though these days I don’t read as much as I used to.

Unlike many people, one thing I don’t stress about is when books become movies – to me, it’s very clear that they are two completely different means of communication and one can never be exactly like the other. The book author has one point of view that may not be shared by the screenwriter and the director. It’s someone’s version about someone else’s work – it will never be the same but that doesn’t have to be something bad: I had tears in my eyes this morning after watching Jose Saramago’s reaction to Fernando Meirelles’ take on “Blindness”.

Now I give you my take on Brazilian chef Morena Leite’s pistachio brigadeiro – it is not exactly like hers, but still delicious.

Pistachio brigadeiro

Pistachio brigadeiro

100g unsalted, shelled pistachios
1 can (395g) sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter + a bit extra for buttering the plate

Butter a large plate and set aside.
Place the pistachios in a food processor and grind until it resembles wet sand.
Mix the condensed milk, butter and ground pistachios in a saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly – when the bottom of the pan starts to show and the mixture is a bit thicker, remove from heat and immediately pour into the prepared plate. Set aside to cool completely.
To serve, place 2.5cm (1 inch) portions into individual serving spoons or roll into balls and place in a serving dish.

Serves 10-12

Pistachio brigadeiro

21 comments:

Brittany (He Cooks She Cooks) said...

I'm happy to hear there are other people out there who accept film adaptations for what they are independent of the book that inspired them. I'm tired of people complaining about the movie not being like the book. They KNOW that's going to happen. Why do they keep going back to the theater then?

Mumsy said...

OH...I know a few people who could really go for those. If I can find my pistachios (they are hidden somewhere--and hopefully not tainted) I am going to make those this weekend.

Great pics.

Susan from Food Blogga said...

How could something with only 3 ingredients be so splendid?

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) said...

Beautiful photos -- and this is something I've never heard of, but will definitely try. Thanks for the recipe.

KJ said...

I have never heard of this before. How intriquing. I will certainly be giving this a go.

Elyse said...

Wow, I've never seen anything like this dessert. It sounds fascinating. And I adore pistachios. How delightful!

Dragon said...

So creamy and delicious! I love your photo.

Carolyn said...

i read "blindness" last summer and that link you shared makes me want to see the movie now!

Simones Kitchen said...

It looks delicious! I totally agree on your movie and book-view... I do however, always compare the two. Can't help it ofcourse. Sometimes the book is better then the film and sometimes the other way around. But that is all a matter of personal taste! I am sure my taste will go really well with these treats!

Patricia Scarpin said...

Brittany, I couldn't agree with you more - some people seem to go see the movie JUST for the sake of complaining later... :S

Lindsey, I'm sure the Brazilian hubby will love this. :D
Tks, darling!

Susan, I have thought of it! :D

Lydia, thank you, sweetie!

KJ, I hope you try it!

Elise, brigadeiro is very common here in Brazil, and this is a different version.

Dragon, thank you!!

Carolyn, I loved the movie and now I want to read the book!

Simone, I think that some comparison is natural, but to expect things to be exactly the same is too much, imho.
Thank you!

mari said...

Patricia, I'm kind of incapable of comparing the book with the movie. I try not to be too judgmental. Last night we watched "Tell No One," a French adaptation of Harlan Coben's thriller, and honestly, I thought the film was so much more interesting. I felt the same way about "A Room With a View," even though E.M. Forster is a great writer. But I hated the film "Mystic River," because the book was so much more riveting emotionally. Just my two cents.

And oh! I have those very same wooden spoons!!!

Y said...

Those look like little spoons of delight :)

I can't help but compare, if I'm familiar with both the book and the film. Usually, the book wins too, but only because there are so many more nuances a book is capable of conveying. I haven't read Saramago's book, but I didn't love the movie, even though I found it interesting.

Deeba PAB said...

What a fun post. Never heard of anything like these YUM spoonfuls. Can just dream of how gorgeous pistachios & condensed milk would be...BEAUTIFUL!!

eatme_delicious said...

I've never heard of brigadeiro but oh wow does it sound delicious!

Laura said...

Brigadeiro with pistachios and no chocolate. what a fabulous and delicious idea. My mother started to lecture me about tradition and chocolate and stuff when I suggested making them. Anyway, thank you for putting this up and for your stunning pictures.

islandgirl4ever2 said...

WOW!! I know this is also Brasilian!! I have made it before but chocolate... I've never heard of it in pistache!! WOOWWWWWW

Zanne said...

Just came across this and will try it immediately - sounds yummy!

Has anyone tried adding/coating with maybe coconut or plain dark chocolate?
I always like to have variations, especially when I make something to give as a little gift.

Patricia Scarpin said...

Hi, Zanne - thank you!
I hope you try these - they're delicious!

Those coatings sound wonderful!

Zanne said...

I have one other question I forgot to ask yesterday.
Do these keep in the refrigerator or do you have to make them fairly soon before serving? If you can refrigerate, how long will they keep?

I would like to make a big batch and give small packages as gifts.

I'm going to make my first attempt this afternoon.

Patricia Scarpin said...

They keep well in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. If it's not too hot, you can leave them out of the refrigerator, too.

Megan said...

These were delightful! I probably didn't cook them quite long enough since they were a bit on the sticky side to pick up. They were way too yummy to waste, so I rolled mine into chickpea-sized balls, froze them briefly, then dipped half in white chocolate and half in bittersweet. I didn't bother tempering the chocolate -- beyond my skills for now! Anyway, the chocolate coating was really yummy. I made a second batch that I cooked a bit longer, then just rolled into ground pistachios -- delightful!

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