Beijinho

Beijinho is a small Brazilian sweet made by cooking sweetened condensed milk with butter and desiccated coconut, then rolling the mixture into balls. The name means "little kiss" in Portuguese.

What it really is

The base is sweetened condensed milk, butter and desiccated coconut, cooked together in a pan over low heat until the mixture thickens enough to hold its shape when a spoon is drawn across the bottom. The mixture is cooled, rolled into small balls by hand, and each ball is pressed into a little heap of coconut or finished with a whole clove. Some cooks grease their hands with butter before rolling.

It is closely related to the brigadeiro, which uses cocoa powder or chocolate in place of the coconut. Beijinho is the white, coconut version of the same cooked-condensed-milk confection, and it is usually made in the same small sizes for parties and birthdays.

How it's served

• Served at room temperature on a small paper or foil case, usually as part of a party sweets table.
• Eaten in one or two bites, with no utensils needed.
• Often offered after a meal with coffee, or at children's parties alongside brigadeiros.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the main ingredients: sweetened condensed milk, butter and coconut, so guests know it is a coconut sweet and not a chocolate one.
• Flag milk and, in most recipes, the butter, since both appear in the classic version.
• State whether the sweet is finished with coconut or with a whole clove, as the two are common variants.