Mendiants (French Chocolate Disks)

What is the Meaning of the Word Mendiant?

Mendiant (pronounced, 'mon-dee-ong') in French literally means 'beggar' in English.

When it comes to chocolate, Mendiants is the name given to one of the most popular chocolate confectionaries (confiseries) in France. They're simple disks of chocolate (dark, milk or white) with at least four kinds of dried fruit and nuts.

Why the word for beggar? Each chocolate disk, or mendiant, refers to the friar monks from the Middle Ages who chose a lifestyle of poverty, travel and preached especially to the poor. The toppings represents the 4 historical robe colours of their four religious orders - more on that below.

Why is the Price of Mendiants so High?

If you've walked around the inviting Parisian chocolate shops and patisseries, you'll see that mendiants come at a price.

French chocolate Mendiants are disks of good quality chocolate covered in colourful dried fruits and nuts. In top Parisian chocolateries all year round, many are expensive since they use top quality ingredients.

This is why we love to make them at home. They're great fun to make with kids and great for serving as mini bites or 'mignardises' after dinner. Traditionally served as a holiday recipe over Christmas in France, they also make great holiday food gifts.

I think they make perfect hats to top macarons, cupcakes, butter cookies - or any of your favourite sweet treats for some fun. Even add a few mini Easter eggs and you have the perfect Easter Bonnet!

History of Chocolate Mendiants

According to French history in Larousse Gastronomique, the traditional four friar or mendicant monastic orders from 1272 corresponds to their historical robe colours.

As a result, the mendiant recipe includes four traditional toppings to the chocolate disks:

• grey raisins stand for the Augustinians
• brown hazelnuts for the Carmelites
• purple dried figs for the Franciscans and
• white almonds are for the Dominicans.

However, over time things have become a bit de-robed! Modern confectioners add orange peel, pistachio nuts, candied ginger and cranberries (even goji berries). In true French Easter chocolate style, add French chocolate fish ('fritures')and mini praline eggs. See more topping ideas below.

Do I Need a Chocolate Mould To Make Mendiants?

There's no need for any particular chocolate mould. As you can see, I've just used baking parchment to spoon the melted chocolate and - using the back of a spoon - form circles directly onto the sheet without any guide. They don't need to be absolutely perfect: the spoon actually does make them into circles themselves.

However, if you want them to look perfectly round as if in a chocolate shop in Paris, I have found a simple 'mould'! As I don't need fancy gadgets to make homemade macarons, when I gave my unsponsored silicone macaron mat review, I realised this mat was the perfect mendiant-making mat.

With its raised, grooved circles on the macaron mat, just spoon the melted chocolate into them. Leave to set then peel them off to reveal a perfectly round mendiant.

What is the Best Chocolate for Mendiants?

Mendiants can be made with either plain (bittersweet) dark, milk or white chocolate. The better the quality of chocolate, the better your results. In general, avoid budget own-brand supermarket cooking chocolate. Choose a dark chocolate with at least 60% cocoa solids.

For dark, I prefer Nestlé's Corsé chocolate (64% cacao) which is great value. Otherwise, for better brands, go for Barry's Saint Dominigue or Venezuela which are both around 70% cocoa.

Do I need to Temper Chocolate for Mendiants?

Normally, professional chocolatiers temper their chocolate to sell mendiants. The reason being, they last so much longer and are prettier.

As I'm just making them at home with the idea of eating them quickly over the next few days, I honestly haven't needed to. Melt the chocolate in a Bain-Marie (in a glass bowl over simmering water) and spoon out on to a baking sheet. As the chocolate takes about 30 minutes to set, you have enough time to enjoy topping them.

As you can see, it's not even a recipe: just melt good quality chocolate and plonk on the dried fruits and (toasted) nuts of your choice!

If you do plan to keep them longer, then temper. Melt chocolate in a double boiler at 50°C, take off the heat and quickly cool to 20°C then reheat to 32-35°C.

Mendiant Toppings

Top your mendiants with different nuts and dried fruits.

Nuts are best toasted either in a frying pan (dry fry without oil) or under the grill for a couple of minutes. This just adds depth of flavour. Dried fruits add a contrast in textures, colours and flavours.

• Use toasted walnuts, hazelnuts, almond flakes, pecans or pistachios. During the festive season, add candied fruits such as orange and ginger, for example, or marrons glacés (candied chestnuts).
• I also added broken Mikado sticks (do you have these in America?) and homemade zig-zag sticks (just by melting chocolate and zig-zagging it on baking paper, then peeling off when set) for a nest and mini Easter eggs.

Top them to decorate cupcakes, brownies, banana muffins, chocolate mousse, etc. with them. Great also served with vanilla poached pears with coffee.

How to Store Mendiants

Store mendiants in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 3 days. However, if you have tempered the chocolate, they can last for longer. As our family usually eats them far too quickly, this has never been a problem to store them for long!

They make great Christmas food gifts and, if you love chocolate and nuts, try these chocolate hazelnut rochers (Ferrero Rocher style with milk chocolate).