This site uses only a few technical cookies necessary for its operation. By continuing to browse, you accept their use.
To find out more...
To find out more...
Chocolate mendiants
Mendiants are made with a thin layer of chocolate, stuck with toasted nuts, dried and candied fruit.
55 K 4.8/5 (4 reviews)
1 hour 2 min.
Easy
60 pieces
8 IngredientsLast modified on: May 27th 2020
For 60 pieces, you will need:
- 1
90 g candied grapefruit peel - 2
60 raisins - 3
60 whole almonds - 4
30 walnut kernels - 5
60 hazelnuts - 6
60 pistachios - 7
60 pine nuts - 8
300 g dark chocolate - Total weight: 660 grams
Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 30 min.
Cooking: 35 min.
All in all: 1 hour 2 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 3 min.
Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
Chop 90 g candied grapefruit peel into small dice.
Separate 60 raisins (they often come stuck together).
Chop 90 g candied grapefruit peel into small dice.
Separate 60 raisins (they often come stuck together).
Stage 2 - 15 min.
Lay a sheet of cooking parchment on a baking sheet and spread out 60 whole almonds, 30 walnut kernels, and 60 hazelnuts.
Toast the nuts in the oven for 15 minutes.
Toast the nuts in the oven for 15 minutes.
Stage 3 - 4 min.
After this time, take the nuts out of the oven. Tip the almonds and walnuts off the baking sheet and (if necessary) rub the hazelnuts in tea towel to remove the skins.
Leave to cool.
Leave to cool.
Stage 4 - 10 min.
Reuse the same paper and baking sheet to toast 60 pistachios and 60 pine nuts in the oven for 10 minutes. Being smaller, they will not take as long.
Leave to cool.
Leave to cool.
Stage 5 - 10 min.
Melt 300 g dark chocolate over a bain-marie. The usual method is to put the chocolate in a bowl, but if you use a small bottle instead, this makes the next stage easier.
Stage 6
Check that the chocolate is fully melted.
Stage 7
For this recipe, I used a silicon mould with rectangular compartments, but you can use whatever you have to hand - the shape doesn't matter.
Stage 8
Pour a thin layer of chocolate into the moulds (now the bottle comes into its own).
Stage 9
Then arrange the fruit and nuts on top.
When everything is on, press down into the chocolate with your fingers.
When everything is on, press down into the chocolate with your fingers.
Stage 10 - 20 min.
My tip: work like a production line. Pour all the chocolate first, then add the all almonds, next the raisins, etc.
This way, all your mediants will look the same.
This way, all your mediants will look the same.
Stage 11
Refrigerate for 2 hours to set the chocolate and make sure the fruit and nuts are stuck.
Stage 12
Take your mendiants out of their moulds gently, and leave to come back to room temperature before handing round or tucking in yourself.
Remarks
The French name means "mendicants", after the 4 types of fruit and nuts traditionally used in the Provençal thirteen Christmas desserts to represent the 4 mendicant religious orders: raisins for the Augustines, hazelnuts for the Carmelites, figs for the Franciscans and almonds for the Dominicans.
You can vary the topping depending on the fruit and nuts you have to hand, but do try to keep a mix of toasted nuts + dried fruit + candied fruit.
You can vary the topping depending on the fruit and nuts you have to hand, but do try to keep a mix of toasted nuts + dried fruit + candied fruit.
Keeping: Several days in a sealed container.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 80 RDI=30 % | 680 RDI=60 % | 290 RDI=40 % | 3,660 RDI=180 % | 15,330 RDI: 180 % |
| Per 100 g | 10 RDI=5 % | 100 RDI=10 % | 40 RDI=7 % | 550 RDI=30 % | 2,320 RDI: 30 % |
| Per piece | 1 RDI=1 % | 10 RDI=1 % | 4 RDI=1 % | 60 RDI=3 % | 260 RDI: 3 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 60 pieces : 8.10 €
- Per piece : 0.15 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Dark chocolate
Like these other recipes: Chocolate Chantilly , Viennese Shortbread, Chocolate-verbena cream, Chocolate eclairs, Chocolate thins with toasted nuts, ... See them all 36
Candied grapefruit peel
You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Calissons, Grapefruit moelleux, Chocolate cream with a crunch, irish coffee mousse, Chocolate thins with toasted nuts, Brioche royale, ... See them all 6
Raisins
Like these other recipes: Pains briochés aux raisins, Benoîton, Frozen nougat, Dublin fruit scones, Moist cereal bars, ... See them all 20
Pistachios
Like these other recipes: Chocolate Truffles, How to peel pistachios, Pistachio shortbread biscuits, Rice pudding with fruit and nuts, Moist cereal bars, ... See them all 18
Other recipes you may also like
Praline
Praline is a preparation of caramelized nuts (in this case almonds), with a very characteristic flavour. Either crushed or as a paste, it is used to fill or flavour all manner of things like creams, chocolates, biscuits, etc.August 3rd 2012271 K3.5 55 min.
Chicken and mushroom brik rolls
Roll of brik (or filo) pastry filled with chopped mushrooms, diced chicken and sautéd onions.May 10th 2023134 K4.7 55 min.
Mojito peaches
A simple fruit salad of white peaches bathed in mojito flavours: lime, rum and mint (with a delicate hint of vanilla).August 2nd 202039 K 40 min.
Natural leaven
Leaven is a natural raising agent, a fermented mixture of water, flour and the microscopic yeasts which are present in the air. It's a delicate living substance, sensitive to the external environment. The recipe is around 4000 years old and dates back to the Egypt of the Pharaohs, via a beautiful...April 3rd 20201.71 M 304.0 7 days 15 min.
How to prepare spinach
For most people (and me most of all), spinach brings back bad memories of canteens... But, well prepared, it's a fine and delicate vegetable which goes remarkably well with scrambled eggs, fish, and many another things. Here are two ways of preparing it.June 5th 20153.39 M3.5 1 hour 9 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-07-20)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Follow this recipe
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.