The French Chocolate Mendiants are sinfully delicious Christmas chocolate bark pieces in a disk shape and topped with different types of nuts and dried fruits. Quick and easy to put together, the mendiant is very versatile, you can stay traditional or make it a more festive but still easy chocolate bark.
Typically prepared in the month of December for the holiday season, you will love this almost guilt-free treat, it is a healthy chocolate bark! It’s vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, this is the perfect sweet chocolate bark recipe to make asap! It is also a great baking activity to add to your Advent calendar.
Another one of the 13 desserts is the Bûche de Noël or Yule log, I have broken down all the steps so you can make your own with the chocolate ganache. The French sweet bread is also an item part of the spread: a delicious bread, a little brioche-like, flavoured with orange blossom extract.
🍫 Why you will love this French bark
- Easy to prepare
- So versatile, you can adapt the toppings
- It makes a great edible gift
- A guilt-free treat if you use dark chocolate
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🥣 Ingredients needed
The chocolate mendiants recipe calls for only one main ingredients and then the add-ons of your choice.
- Chocolate: Consider buying a high quality one for this recipe. It is the star of the recipe, make it proud. Also, dark chocolate is best for this bark.
- Nuts: For almond, prefer them slivered, for peanut or pistachio, it's better broken down. As for pecan or walnut, a quarter of the nut would suffice.
- Cranberry: Adds some sweetness to the treat.
- Shredded coconut: Gives a great Christmassy look to the mendiants.
Tip: Good quality chocolate is key. Once you spend a few more dollars to buy higher-quality chocolate, you won't be able to go back. Personally, I buy Barry-Callebaut and I find it at McEwan in Toronto.
📖 Variations
Although this is a simple recipe with a few ingredients, you can still adapt it to your liking or what you have on hand.
- Type of chocolate: This would also work with chocolate milk or white chocolate.
- Dried fruits: You can also use raisin, goji berries, or bigger fruits cuts in pieces such as dattes or apricots.
- Seeds: Add some pumpkin seeds, sunflower, hemp or chia seeds.
- Festive : crush some candy canes and sprinkle them on the chocolate.
- More North-American style: this recipe is French but there are a lot of creative chocolate bark recipes out there where you can add some peanut butter, pretzels, saltine crackers and so much more.
🥄 How To Make The Christmas Bark
First, prepare all the toppings you will want to put on your mendiants. Then, prepare a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or a baking mat.
Then, cut the chocolate into small pieces. Melt chocolate in the microwave for 20 seconds, mix and repeat until completely melted. You can also melt it by putting it on a double boiler: Take a big pot, put some water in (about 2 inches), in a small pot, put the chocolate, and place it in the water of the bigger pot. It will start melting once the water is hot and boiling.
Note: I'm not using the method to temper chocolate since there are topping on top of it. If you wish to obtain a more shinny finish, tempering is the technique to use.
Next, using a tablespoon, make small disks of melted chocolate on a baking sheet and right away, sprinkle them with the toppings of your choice. Repeat until you no longer have chocolate.
Tip: Do a few disks at a time so the chocolate don't settle before you had the chance to add the nuts etc.
Lastly, et aside in the fridge for 2 hours to allow it to set.
💭 Recipe FAQs
You can store the mendiants for about 10 days in an air-tight container in a cool place or in the fridge. Leaving them at room temperature on the counter can be a little risky as it might melt.
⭐ The Perfect Edible Gift
Mendiants are a cute bite format and could be a great hostess gift or any sweet tooth in your life that loves a great chocolate treat. Wrap them with a few other cookies like this 4-ingredient Almond Shortbread cookies, chocolate truffles or even French tuiles or a few sticks of peppermint and you have a beautiful little gift!
This is also a great treat to have at home during the holidays. Anyone popping by your home, this is the perfect bite-size to offer your guest. You can't say no to chocolate, can you?
Ideas: Placed in a cute box, it makes a great gift for a hostess, teacher, colleague, or friend.
🥨 More Christmas Bark Ideas
- Christmas bark saltine crackers in a saltine toffee version
- Chocolate Christmas bark with this peppermint bark fudge
- Christmas almond bark with this caramelized almond rocky road bark
🥂 More Christmas Treats Ideas
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating on the recipe card below & and a comment about your experience. Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram, thanks!
📖 French Chocolate Mendiant
Equipment
- 1 A small pot or bowl
Ingredients
- 1 and ½ cup dark chocolate, unsweetened 200 g
- 1 handful almond sliced, whole etc
- 1 handful pecan whole or in pieces
- 1 handful shredded coconut unsweetened
- 1 handful peanut in pieces
- 1 handful raisins, cranberries or craisins
Instructions
- Set up your ramekins with the toppings listed above or the ones of your choice.
- Prepare a baking sheet with a parchemin paper or a baking mat.
- Cut the chocolate in small pieces. Melt it in the microwave for 20 secondes, mix and repeat until completely melted.
- Using a tablespoon, make small disks and sprinkle with the toppings.
- Repeat until done.
- Set aside in a cool place for 2 hours to allow to set.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Use high quality chocolate for better results.
- You can use pistachios, macadamia nuts, dried figs cut in pieces or anything you might like.
- Makes a great edible gift.
Nutrition
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Swathi says
This christmas chocolate bark looks delicious.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
These are just so amazing! Love the idea of using white and regular chocolate to make attractive edible gifts.
Julie says
What a yummy and lovely recipe to make as a gift. I got my twins involved and we all had fun putting this together. So good!
Mélanie says
I'm so glad they enjoyed it!
Natalie says
Oh wow, this looks dleicious. What a perfect edible Holiday gift. I will save this recipe. Thanks!
Mélanie says
Yes, this is a great hostess gift too!
Tatiana says
I make it every year, thanks for the recipe