We are on the final day of cooking French Cuisine. I know I picked up a simple dish, which practically didn't look like cooking at all to me. However, I have been wanting to make this shape and prepare exactly this way that I decided to make it for this theme. In fact, this was the first one I made when I decided on French Cuisine. My kids do not like dry fruits or nuts other than cashew nuts. So even in chocolate, if its fruits and nuts, it's not touched. Since I do not like cashews, most times those chocolates stay for a while.
However since we thought we should get them to try these, we decided to get Konda initiated into the dry fruits. She said she won't mind if I make the chocolates with these. So hubby dear that it was my task to get it done and that's how this came into the picture.
I was lucky that I remembered that this is a French specialty and I searched for it.
So wiki tells me that Mendiant is a confectionery originated from France. It has just two ingredients, chocolates, and dried nuts and fruits.
Traditionally it was a chocolate disk studded with nuts and dried fruits representing the four mendicant or monastic orders of the Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans, and Carmelites. Each of the nuts and dried fruits used refers to the color of monastic robes with tradition dictating raisins for the Dominicans, hazelnut for the Augustins, dried fig for Franciscans, and almond for Carmelite. Now this confection has moved away from the traditional combination of nuts and fruits to other combinations incorporating seeds, fruit peels, and other items. And I could see recipes using so many different combinations.
When I made this at home, boys didn't even touch it, while the entire batch was enjoyed by Hubby dear and Konda. I used Dark chocolate along with roasted almonds, raisins, walnuts, and cashews.
Mendiants au Chocolat
Ingredients Needed:
Dark compound - 1 cup
Cashews, Raisins, Almonds, Walnuts for topping.
MW chopped dark chocolate for 30 secs in two spurts. Temper well and drop a teaspoon of melted chocolate on parchment paper.
Place each nut on top and refrigerate.
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Rajani S says
It might be simple, but it looks so elegant. It looks like a perfect edible gift!
vaishali sabnani says
Oh how i love these, the different fruits on the chocolate lends different flavours and a little sweet fruit like raisin , apricot berry enhances the taste. These discs are tempting me.
Pavani N says
I think I saw these on Suma's blog last and remember bookmarking them. They are so easy to make, yet look so gourmet-ish.
Sapana Behl says
Wow ! same pinch I also made them for next week and loved them.
Sarita says
These look super yummy.. What a simple tasty recipe..
Harini-Jaya R says
Simple and elegant.
Sowmya :) says
It's easy and yummy! Am bookmarking this.
Chef Mireille says
You introduced a new recipe to me and they look gorgeous