How to make Brigadeiro...

Start with a can of good quality condensed milk. Go for the whole-fat organic one if you can find it. If not, La Lechera is the best regular (non-organic) one. Stay away from Carnation, it's crap. Why organic? Because you want to avoid feeding yourself and/or your kids bovine growth-hormones with your/their dessert.
Add to the condensed milk about 4 to 5 heaping tablespoons of chocolate powder. Any type of cocoa that you would normally use to make hot chocolate works great. No need to go buy the fancy stuff- keep it simple. If you can, sift it through a colander in order to get rid of small chocolate chunks so that the brigadeiro is smooth.

Put both the condensed milk and chocolate in a small pot, and turn the heat on to medium. Start stirring the minute you turn the fire on, and do not stop until you have the right consistency. This is very important so that the brigadeiro stays smooth and does not burn. You will know you have achieved the right consistency when you can see the bottom of the pot as you stir. This part takes about 10 to 15 minutes to achieve. Important: do not try to taste the brigadeiro, as it will burn your tongue. Let the mixture cool to room temperature, or stick it in the fridge for a few hours. Don't let it get too hard though, or it will feel like you are handling cement.

Now that the mixture is cool enough to handle, take a stick of butter. Smear the palms of your hands with it, and take with a spoon a small amount of the mixture. Gently roll it in the palms of your hands, without pressure, until you turn it into a ball. If you press it too hard, it will stick and smear to your hands; the only way out of this mess is to lick it, wash your hands, and start over with the butter. When you make a ball, drop it in a bowl with sugar until you have about 3 or 4 of them, then gently roll them around in the sugar with the tips of your fingers, so as not to stick. This mixture really is very sticky, as you can see in the handle of the pan. When the little balls are covered in sugar, delicately place them in a plate, so they don't loose their pretty round shape. Enjoy!