Cajuzinho is a sweet peanut candy popular in Brazil, made with peanuts, sweetened condensed milk, sugar, and cocoa powder. It can be made at home or purchased prepackaged. The name means “small cashew” but the candy does not usually contain cashews.
Cajuzinho is a sweet peanut candy found throughout Brazil. This candy can be found through commercial manufacturers and can be prepackaged or purchased from small shops or made quite easily at home. It typically consists of a dough mixture that resembles chocolate fudge and has a strong peanut flavor. Cajuzinho can be made using a number of different ingredients, although the most common recipes call for only peanuts, sweetened condensed milk, sugar, and cocoa powder or chocolate drink mixes.
The name cajuzinho means “small cashew”, although the candies do not usually contain cashews. It can be made with cashews in addition to peanuts and the finished product is often shaped to look like a large cashew, but otherwise the name has little to do with the candy’s taste and creation. The peanuts used in making cajuzinho can vary between recipes, and different candy makers may prefer to use plain, unsalted peanuts that have had their skins removed. Other recipes often call for the use of roasted peanuts, and the flavor of the candy will depend on the type of peanuts used.
Preparing cajuzinho begins with finely chopping or grinding the peanuts. This can be done with a knife or food processor. The peanuts are then placed in a pot along with the sweetened condensed milk, which is basically milk and sugar that has been carefully cooked to reduce the liquid in it and become thick and sweet.
Margarine or butter can be added to this mixture, although this depends on the recipe. Sometimes sugar is also added. The cocoa powder or chocolate drink mix is then added and the entire mixture is heated over medium to low heat. The mixture is stirred while heating until it reaches the proper thickness for cajuzinho, which is thick enough that the pot is easily visible while stirring.
Once the cajuzinho mixture reaches the correct thickness, it is poured from the skillet into a greased skillet and allowed to cool to room temperature. When it reaches room temperature, it can be taken into small pieces and shaped into cones, which are then normally rolled in granulated sugar. It’s traditional to press a single peanut into the bottom of each cone as well.
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