my niece turned one yesterday. we're celebrating her birthday tonight. she is the most precious little girl i have ever met. she's hilarious, even at one.
her name is chloe and she is the first baby in our family. my brother, damian and his wife, nicole, actually made her on their honeymoon. what a gift! ha!
i made brigadeiro, my favorite dessert for her birthday party. i've been making brigadeiro since i was a young girl. my aunt, olga, and i would make them the day i arrived in brasil. every year was the same, even as i grew older. as the plane would land in belo horizonte, i would be & still am filled with nerves & hunger for my family & for brigadeiro.
i hope to have this same kind of relationship with chloe. i want to watch her stir vigorously so the chocolate doesn't burn & giggle while we roll the sticky chocolatey goodness between our hands, stealing a ball every now & then.
my aunt, my second mother, suffered an aneurysm this past year. i haven't seen her yet and i hope that our ritual, our reuniting will still be filled will the taste of chocolate, but i fear it may be a bit bittersweet.
she still has her memory intact and talks often of brigadeiro. this is a good sign, because memory is what keeps us going. we seek experience in order to create memory. i dream we can share many more lovely moments together.
and finally to chloe, happy birthday, i love you.
(she's like 7 m's here, but i love this photo)the recipe:
4 tbs cocoa
4 tbs butter/margerine
1 can condensed milk
1 tsp honey
combine all ingredients, cook over medium-high heat stirring constantly. when mixture thickens & you can see the sides of the pot, remove from heat. cool.
roll into 1/2" or 1" balls. it may be a good idea to put a little butter on your hands so they don't get too sticky.
it's delicious.
3 comments:
what a lovely post about family, with great pics of your brigadeiro.
happy birthday to your niece, and here's to hopes that your next meeting with your aunt will be nothing but sweet.
these look and sound scrumptious! Thanks for the recipe :) ... gonna have to give them a try.
And here's wishing you many a happy hour to come mixing chocolate with your niece and your aunt. Those family moments in the kitchen together are the best :)
ohh! how sweet that they made her on their honeymoon, :) hee! a love baby!
i can't wait to try this recipe out, i even have those kind of sprinkles that i bought at a tienda here in montevideo! yours are so sweet all in pink!
mmmm...
thanks!
Post a Comment