TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Mendiants au ChocolatChocolate Mendiants with Nuts and Dried Fruit
- Total
- 1 hr 15 min
- Difficulty
- ★★★☆☆
- Serves
- 10 servings
- Prep 30 min
- Cook 45 min
Small disks of tempered chocolate topped with one almond, one hazelnut, one raisin and one piece of dried fig. They have a glossy surface and break with a crisp snap.
AUTHENTICITY SCORE
Authenticity Score
This is the standard recipe, exactly as it’s made where it comes from — the highest Authenticity Score possible. Substituting ingredients changes this score; the app shows exactly how, ingredient by ingredient.
Ingredients (10 servings)
100Authenticity- Dark couverture chocolate (about 70% cacao)210 gMelt 140g; finely chop the remaining 70g.
- Whole blanched almonds30
- Whole blanched hazelnuts30
- Raisins30Choose large raisins.
- Dried figs40 gAbout 3–4 figs; cut into 30 pieces.
Method
Prepare 30 sets of toppings and line the baking sheets
- 1 Remove the stems from 40g dried figs and cut them into roughly 8mm cubes, making 30 pieces.
- 2 Arrange 30 sets of toppings, each with 1 almond, 1 hazelnut, 1 raisin and 1 piece of dried fig.
- 3 Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Ready when
Proceed when all 30 sets of the 4 toppings are ready and the parchment lies flat on the sheets.
Melt to 50–55°C, then add the chopped chocolate and temper at 31–32°C
- 1 Put 140g couverture chocolate in a dry bowl and melt over a water bath to 50–55°C (122–131°F).
- 2 Remove from the water bath, add the 70g finely chopped couverture chocolate and blend with an immersion blender without incorporating air.
- 3 Continue mixing while checking with a thermometer until the chocolate reaches 31–32°C (87.8–89.6°F) to finish tempering, the temperature-control process that gives it gloss and a crisp snap. Follow the product’s own temperature instructions when provided.
Ready when
Proceed when all the chopped chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth throughout at 31–32°C.
Caution
Water or steam entering the chocolate can cause it to seize and become grainy.
Pipe 4cm disks and add the 4 toppings before they set
- 1 Transfer the chocolate to a piping bag and cut a roughly 5mm opening at the tip.
- 2 Pipe 4–5 disks at a time onto the parchment, about 4cm across, leaving space between them.
- 3 Immediately press 1 almond, 1 hazelnut, 1 raisin and 1 piece of dried fig lightly onto each disk.
- 4 Repeat in batches of 4–5 until you have made 30 disks.
Ready when
Proceed when all 30 disks are evenly sized and the bases of the 4 toppings are embedded in chocolate so they stay in place when the sheet is tilted.
Caution
Toppings added after the chocolate starts to set will not adhere and may fall off.
Tips
If the chocolate in the bowl cools and thickens, briefly warm it with a hair dryer to return it to 31–32°C.
Let set completely at 18–20°C room temperature
- 1 Leave the baking sheets in a cool room at 18–20°C (64.4–68°F) for 30 minutes to set.
- 2 Peel the disks off the parchment and place in an airtight container.
Ready when
They are ready when the surface is glossy, they release cleanly from the paper and they break with a crisp snap.
Caution
Refrigeration can cause a white bloom. Keep in a dry place at 15–18°C (59–64.4°F) and eat within 2 weeks.
Nuts can cause choking; do not serve these to children age 5 or younger.
About this dish
Almonds, dried figs, hazelnuts and raisins appear on Lenten and Christmas tables as the four mendiants, or “beggars.” Their colors have been compared to the habits of mendicant religious orders, although the associations between each fruit and each order vary.
In Paris in 1787, the four fruits served during Lent are said to have been known by this name. A story also tells of Father André explaining the religious orders to Louis XIII by comparing them to the different fruits.
These four ingredients also form part of Provence’s thirteen Christmas desserts. The first written record of the number thirteen is said to date from 1925.
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