From the Jeanne d’Moore kitchen
Mendiants, called chocolate bark in English, are bars or disks of chocolate studded with nuts and dried fruits. You can plan your recipe and create the Chocolate Bark of your choice. This is a delicious way to enjoy your favourite chocolate along with your favourite fruits and nuts.
INGREDIENTS:
400 g milk or dark chocolate
100 g white chocolate
120 g roasted and salted cashews, chopped
120 g chopped dried apricots
40 g chopped dried cranberries
Optional: 50 g of chopped pistachio nuts
TO PREPARE:
- Line a tray with baking paper.
- Have a pot partly filled with boiling water on the stove. Place a heatproof bowl on top, but not touching the water.
- Place the pieces of dark or milk chocolate into the bowl and melt gently.
- Pour the chocolate over the baking paper so that you have a layer of chocolate about 3-4 mms thick. Sprinkle the fruit and nuts over the top and lightly press into the layer of chocolate.
- Melt the white chocolate and drizzle it over the top of your fruit and nut mixture.
- Set aside for two hours to allow fruit and nuts to settle slowly into the chocolate.
- Depending on the weather, you might want to put the chocolate bark into the fridge for a short time and then cut or break the bark into pieces before serving.
Giving Chocolate Bark, beautifully wrapped, can be a perfect alternative to give as a gift instead of Easter eggs!
