Chocolate Discs (Mendiants)

It’s December 6th and we’re 19 days away from Christmas. In a year that’s been plagued by the pandemic, everyone’s just trying to make it day by day. I know I am. So what will the holidays look like? Different, that’s for sure. And different is okay, btw. These chocolate discs (mendiants) are sure to be on the menu!

Holiday shopping, baking, and all the festive things in between are happening. And even though this year may be different I definitely started baking up a storm yesterday. It’s how I make the holidays feel a little more normal. I always bake tons of cookies and pass them out. While I won’t be baking a ton, I will be passing out a few. Recently bought a few items to make a really cute cookie box, so stay tuned on how that’ll turn out! Who knows, maybe I’ll have to start selling them if they turn out really nice!

I love giving a gift that’s homemade. I’ve written about it in years past – The Alternative Guide to Gift-Giving – if you need a few ideas for homemade gifts and/or experience type gifts. I’ve always said I’m not opposed to an actual tangible gift, but in this year where we haven’t been able to spend time one-on-one with loved ones, maybe that is the best gift you can give. The gift of presence. No gift-guide will be on the blog this year, but I’m starting to put together a ‘local-list’ for the Miamians to buy from. Shopping local and giving back to our community in this time of need. Feel free to message me a few ideas.

In the meantime, a chocolate dessert that you can enjoy or that you can give as a gift, you decide! I love chocolate bark but don’t love having to layer both chocolates in this Florida heat. And I wanted to come up with a way that I could have a little something sweet after lunch (or dinner). I didn’t know I had stumbled upon a French little dessert called a chocolate mendiant. Mendiants are French confections served around Christmastime – melted chocolate with dried fruit and nuts. The word is derived from the Latin root mendicans, means ‘begging’, referencing to those beggars, monks or friars, in a religious order that have adopted a lifestyle of poverty for the purpose of preaching and ministry.

When I researched a little more, traditionally the toppings represent the monastic order in the Catholic church along with their original color robes during the MIddle Ages: almonds (white) for the Dominicans, raisins (gray) for the Franciscans, hazelnuts (brown) for the Carmelites, and dried figs (purple) for the Augustinians.

These days mendiants are made with a variety of toppings. There really are a countless number of combinations and creations! Think pistachios, walnuts, slivered almonds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, crisped rice, pomegranates, flaky sea salt, edible rose petals, coconut flakes, dried apricots, candied ginger, freeze-dried strawberries, goji berries, orange peel – see what I mean, the combinations are endless! My advice – stick to no more than four toppings. Why? It’s hard to decorate the mendiant but also it will look a little too messy vs artistic!

Here are a few of my favorite topping combinations:

• chopped pistachios, pomegranates, sesame seeds
• pumpkin seeds, chopped apricots, and flaky sea salt
• crushed coffee beans, cacao nibs, and coconut flakes.
• slivered almonds, freeze-dried strawberries, and hemp seeds
• edible rose petals, candied ginger, and orange peel
• goji berries, crisped rice, and chia seeds
• crushed potato chips, toffee chips, and dried figs

Mendiants are as easy as melting chocolate, using a spoon to drop the chocolate, and then topping the chocolate with your favorite toppings. It really is as easy as that. But here are a few pointers for sure-proof success:

• Choose a really good chocolate. There’s only one ingredient in the mendiant so you want to make sure that the chocolate is the star of the show, literally. I like using a 60% dark chocolate. If you like milk chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, or even white chocolate – the key really is using a high-quality chocolate whatever the type of chocolate. Period. It’s true wafers and bars are more preferred than actual chips. Why? They have no added stabilizers. Truth? Go with what you have – I’ve used chips when that’s all I’ve had and they will work!
• Next, prep your sheet pan. Line it with a sheet of parchment paper and prep your ingredients so they’re ready to be sprinkled as soon as you’ve melted your chocolate. You’ll need to add the toppings before the chocolate sets in order for the toppings to stick. So think, chopping your nuts, chopping your fruit, and gathering your other items that you are going to use. I use my little glass prepping bowls to have everything ready to go!
• Finally, melt your chocolate. You can do this two ways – melting in a microwave and stirring in between 30-second intervals at 50% power OR you can do this on the stove, using a double-boiler. I use a pot with simmering water and place a glass bowl on top (I don’t have an actual double-boiler, but this works, as long as you have a pot holder to hold the bowl so you don’t burn your hand!) The microwave method is quicker, however, it can be a bit temperamental (as all microwaves are different) and you definitely don’t want to scorch your chocolate!
• To shape the mendiants I used a tablespoon measuring spoon. It helps for preciseness and works really well in simply ‘dropping’ the chocolate into a disc. I’ve never had success with putting chocolate into a plastic bag and snipping the tip off – it’s just messier to me. Honestly, the chocolate is quite easy to work with and the tablespoon works quite well.
• Add your toppings – as much or as little as you like – but remember to aim for no more than 4 topping flavors for each one.

There you have it. A quick, homemade dessert that you can make for yourself or as a gift-giving treat.. Anytime you open my refrigerator you’ll find these, not just during the holidays! Enjoy!

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