COOKING COMPANION
FESTIVE MENDIANTS MAKES 9
Mendiants are a traditional French confectionary made from discs of decadent chocolate studded with a selection of tasty toppings, such as nuts and dried fruits. They are super easy to make and look fabulous too.
150g quality chocolate, chopped
A handful of dried nuts or dried fruits
1 Add 3/4 of the chopped chocolate to a large bowl and place over a saucepan of boiling water. Carefully stir the chocolate until it has almost melted, then take it off the heat and stir until completely melted. Add the remaining 1/4 of the chocolate and stir until all of the chocolate is melted. This is an easy way to temper your chocolate for a lovely glossy fi nish.
2 Lay a sheet of baking paper onto a baking tray and spoon the chocolate onto this, creating little discs (leave suffi cient space between them). Gently tap the tray onto the surface to make bigger, more evenly sized discs.
3 Stud each chocolate disc with your choice of toppings.
4 Leave the mendiants to cool for around an hour. Once they are hard, you can gently peel them from the paper with a spatula. To gift them, pop them into clear bags and seal with a ribbon.
EASY SALTED CARAMEL FUDGE
These tasty treats make the sweetest little gifts for someone you love...
600g sugar
250ml double cream 50g unsalted butter Sea salt
20cm x 20cm tin, lined
1 Start by melting 200g of sugar in a pan over a medium heat until it starts to turn golden, then beat in 400g more, along with the butter,
double cream and a large pinch of sea salt.
2 Keep stirring the pan over a medium-high heat, until it reaches 118C on a sugar thermometer. Then remove from the heat and beat with an electric mixer until the consistency is thick.
3 Pour into your tin and spread out evenly using a spatula.
4 Pop the tin into the fridge and allow to cool and set for 3 hours. Top with another pinch of sea salt and cut into squares.
FOODLOVERMAGAZINE.COM | 43
Top Tip
Try using three diff erent types of chocolate for a variety of
colours and styles (50g white, 50g milk, 50g dark). You can also use popping candy, edible glitter or meringue pieces for alternative toppings.
Top Tip
You could substitute the sea salt in this recipe for 200g salted peanuts. Simply sprinkle them into the mix during step 3.
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