Chocolate mendiants
Mendiants are made with a thin layer of chocolate, stuck with toasted nuts, dried and candied fruit.
56 K 4.8/5 (4 reviews)
1 hour 2 min.
Easy
20 pieces
8 IngredientsLast modified on: May 27th 2020
For 20 pieces, you will need:
- 1
1.1 oz candied grapefruit peel - 2
20 raisins - 3
20 whole almonds - 4
10 walnut kernels - 5
20 hazelnuts - 6
20 pistachios - 7
20 pine nuts - 8
4.4 oz dark chocolate
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 1.1 oz candied grapefruit peel into small dice.
Separate 20 raisins (they often come stuck together).
Chop 1.1 oz candied grapefruit peel into small dice.
Separate 20 raisins (they often come stuck together).
Stage 2 - 15 min.
Lay a sheet of cooking parchment on a baking sheet and spread out 20 whole almonds, 10 walnut kernels, and 20 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 20 pistachios and 20 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 4.4 oz 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 | 30 RDI=10 % | 230 RDI=20 % | 100 RDI=20 % | 1,220 RDI=60 % | 5,110 RDI: 60 % |
| 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 20 pieces : 2.70 €
- 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 mousse, Bounty-style tart for Alison, Leopard cake, Chocolate muffins, "BN style" chocolate-filled biscuits, ... See them all 36
Candied grapefruit peel
You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Chocolate orangettes for Erika, Grapefruit moelleux, Calissons, Chocolate cream with a crunch, irish coffee mousse, Brioche royale, ... See them all 6
Raisins
Like these other recipes: Dublin fruit scones, Pecan fruit rolls , Cramique, Soft apple cookies, Caramel semolina pudding with raisins, ... See them all 20
Pistachios
Like these other recipes: Moist cereal bars, Pistachio shortbread biscuits, Chocolate cereal bars, How to peel pistachios, Apricot and pistachio clafoutis, ... See them all 18
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