French mendiants, chocolate disks traditionally topped with dried fruits and nuts. Popular in chocolate shops around Paris, they're just as easy to make your own at home.
flat baking sheet topped with parchment paper or silicone mat or a macaron silicone mat with round raised grooves
Ingredients
200g (7oz/ 1¼ cups)bittersweet chocolate(at least 64% cacao)
handful eachraisinsor golden sultanas
dried figsfinely chopped (cranberries or goji berries)
toasted flaked almonds
hazelnuts(or walnuts)
candied orange peel(optional)
Instructions
Line a perfectly flat baking sheet with baking paper (or silicone mat - even better, a macaron mat will set them perfectly into round shapes).
Break up the chocolate in a glass bowl and place over a pan of simmering water over a gentle heat (bain-marie) until the chocolate has melted.
Using a spoon, pour the melted chocolate onto the baking paper, pressing each one down with the back of the spoon to make a circle (don't worry if they are a bit messy - it will set well later!)
Gradually decorate with the dried fruit and nuts using different colours and textures for toppings. Don’t worry about the chocolate hardening; you will have enough time to enjoy dressing each disk before it hardens.
Leave to cool on the counter for about 30 minutes or 15 minutes in the fridge. When set, remove each mendiant carefully from the sheet with your fingers or a palette knife.
Notes
* Adults only: soak dried fruits in Kirsch, Chambord, Armagnac, Frangelico or any of your favourite liqueurs.For the nuts: they are even better when toasted so dry fry them for a 2-3 minutes first in a frying pan or a few seconds under the grill.Storage: keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days (if you can wait that long!)Nutrition: calories are given as a guide, as toppings are likely to alter depending on your choices of fruits/nuts.
Keyword chocolate mendiants, French chocolate confectionary, French chocolates, mendiant candy