Triple Chocolate Mendiants

Mendiants are a traditional French confection comprised of a chocolate disc sprinkled with dried fruit and nuts. In this recipe, white, dark and milk chocolate are all used to create a selection of chocolate buttons.

100 g. bar of good milk chocolate, chopped

100 g. bar of good white chocolate, chopped

100 g. bar of 70% cacao dark chocolate, chopped

Assorted toppings:

Sprinkles

Chopped cranberries

Chopped pistachios

Chopped nougat

Chopped crystallized ginger

Crushed candy cane

Chopped chocolate candies

Feuilletine

Toffee bits

Sea salt

Mini-chocolate chips

Puffed Quinoa

And many more, keep the receiver of this treat in mind when topping the mendiants!

Line three baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Have all the toppings chopped and ready to go in small bowls.

Work with one type of chocolate at a time.

In a glass, heat proof bowl, add in two-thirds of the dark chocolate and place over a pot of simmering water. This will act as a double boiler. Stirring occasionally, melt the chocolate. Remove from the pot of water and stir in the remainder of the dark chocolate.

This process of melting the chocolate in two steps acts as a simple way to temper the chocolate. Tempering chocolate allows the chocolate to keep its glossiness. If this is not important, melt all the chocolate at once.

Spoon out some of the melted chocolate (use a teaspoon) and drizzle it in a circle form onto one of the prepared sheets. Then sprinkle with chosen topping. Repeat until the dark chocolate is finished. Carry on melting the next type of chocolate, until you have three trays of lovely mendiants with colourful toppings.

Let the mendiants set at room temperature, overnight will do the trick! Choose your packaging and you’re good to go!