I am very grateful to have a chat with Karen, someone who I have known since my arrival in Nice. Apart from being a great and practical teacher of French, she is also a very keen traveller who looks for places off the tourist trail.

Karen is someone with whom it is a great pleasure to talk. For many years Karen has spoken about wanting to bring her own touch to traditional Brazilian Brigadeiros and that time has now arrived.

What are Brigadeiros? I am glad you asked. They are fundamentally a baked confection that is the sweet core of any Brazilian feast. Brigadeiros are similar to, I guess, bonbons and macaroons! They are very scrumptious, moreish and tasty. Brigadeiros, at their simplest, are made from sweet condensed milk, unsweetened cocoa powder and butter.

From very simple basic ingredients, given Karen’s expert hands, an assortment of sensational and exotic Brigadeiros treats emerge. If you were thinking of a slimming diet then hold that thought; tuck into these marvellous morsels first! They also make very practical gifts for any celebration. Karen makes these with love and according to the specific needs of the client. Of course Karen’s magic touch will be added.

Karen was born in Rio de Janeiro, a genuine Brazilian. She ultimately arrived in Nice after spending one two many winters in Boston. Like so many, she came, liked it so much that she decided the Riviera was for her. The rest, as the saying goes, is history. Two fully grown daughters later, Karen is thankful to the Riviera for not being too urban which in turn allows for children to be raised without so many worries.

Being able to speak Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, French and English fluently comes naturally to Karen. Alas, languages do not come naturally to me no matter how hard I try! That said, Karen is so wonderfully patient adapting her conversational method so that the learner feels relaxed. This in turn means that learning is never a chore. Although Karen is concentrating more on her Brigadeiros business, she still finds time for helping out with language.

Karen is at a point with her business that she can consider having a small space from which to sell her Brigadeiros. It is a continuing dilemma for entrepreneurs that have a successful home business and then consider premises. Then again, when it comes to being mobile, catering for events and creating business gift ideas, having the worry of a shop is not helpful!