1 1/4 cups sweetened condensed milk
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
3 Tbs. semisweet chocolate drink mix
1 cup chocolate sprinkles
a pinch of salt

Put the condensed milk, butter and salt in a 3-quart heavy-duty saucepan and bring to a boil over weak heat, whisking constantly.
Add the chocolate powder and continue to whisk, making sure there are no pockets of chocolat powder. Cook whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and pulls together into a dense, fudgy batter, about 8 minutes.
When the mixture is ready, the whisk will leave trails in the batter, allowing you to briefly see the pan bottom, and when you tilt the pan, the mixture should slide to the side in a blob, leaving a thick residue on the bottom of the pan.
Slide the mixture into a bowl. (Don’t scrape the pan—you don’t want to use any of the batter stuck to the bottom.) Let the mixture cool to room temperature and then refrigerate uncovered until very firm, 3 to 4 hours.
Put the sprinkles in a bowl. Using a teaspoon or a melon baller, scoop the mixture by the teaspoonful, and with your hands, roll each into a ball about 1 inch in diameter. Drop each ball into the sprinkles as you finish rolling it. When you have 4 to 6 brigadeiros, toss them in the sprinkles to coat. You may need to exert a little pressure to ensure that the sprinkles stick.
tips to be successful:
. Constantly stir;
. Cook on medium low heat;
. Make sure the mixture is really thick before removing from heat. Being able to see quite a bit of the bottom of pan while stirring is the best way to tell the balls will not fall apart on you when rolling them;
. Let it cool completely before rolling it (you can even refrigerate it for a couple of hours before);
. Grease your hands as many times as needed (this will make the work less messy and you will turn out with perfect little balls.)
The closest product to use in brigadeiro is Nesquick. I wouldn't recomend cocoa powder because the one that we use in Brazil has some sugar, and it makes a big diference in the final result....0ther flavours I suggest:
. changing 2 tablespoons of chocolate for 2 tablespoons of grounded coconut (use grounded coconut as topping)
. changing 2 tablespoons of chocolate for 1 egg yolk + 1 teaspoon of strawberry jello dissolved in 1 tablespoon of hot water (use crystal suggar as topping) - the color ir amazing!
. changing 2 tablespoons of chocolate for 2 tablespoons of grounded pistachios (use grounded nuts as topping).
. After the 1st brigadeiro, you'll become addicted.