Mendiants (and more on yule logs)
Even if you do not partake of a yule log this Christmas the chances are chocolate will feature at some point in your festivities. It’s a time to push the boat out and treat yourself to some exclusive, top quality chocolate and mendiants suit this purpose perfectly (you can find a recipe below). Frank Barron and I had a chat about the best chocolate shops are in Paris. Have a listen to what he had to say below.
More on yule logs….
At the turn of the twentieth century Frederick Vine published a recipe for ‘Yuletide Logs’ in Saleable Shop Goods For Counter, Tray and Window. Vine suggests making individual bûches from a fatless sponge, covered in vanilla butter cream ‘coloured’ with chocolate. They were sprinkled with caster sugar to mimic frost and cost two pence each. He admits ‘their sale is not confined to Christmas by any means; they eat very well and sometimes sell well while at other times they may hang on hand.’ In 1915 May Byron provided two recipes for yule logs in her Cake Book one of which uses a pre-made cake that could be fashioned into a log shape then decorated with chocolate icing, particularly useful for those that are in a hurry. Check out Annie Gray’s version of Frederick Vine’s Yule Log from the Downton Abbey Cookbook (2019).
In 1966 WPIX New York broadcast a four hour movie of a log fire burning accompanied by Christmas songs. It continued to be aired on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning until 1989 when it was dropped for being too old fashioned. It was revived in 2001 to provide comfort after the horrors of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre on 9 September of that year. You can see a clip of the Yule Log Movie on YouTube in case you’re hankering after the real thing.
Mendiants
In the intro to his recipe for Midnight Mendiants in Sweet Paris Frank says:
‘Mendiants are a classic French Christmas confection that have been around since the Middle Ages. The small chocolate discs were originally topped with dried fruits and nuts to symbolise the four Roman Catholic mendicant monastic orders of the day: dried figs (purple) represented the Augustinians; almonds (white) the Dominicans; raisins (grey) were for the Franciscans; and hazelnuts (brown) signified the Carmelites.’
Any variety of dried fruit and nuts can be used, the more colourful the better. For the mendiants in the image, I used preserved pears, ginger and hazelnuts and pistachios, apricots, cranberries, golden sultanas and pecans. Frank suggests serving these with a glass of champagne. They also make great Christmas gifts.
This is my adaptation of Frank’s recipe.
Ingredients for around 10
200g/7oz dark chocolate, finely chopped
A mixture of dried fruits (chop larger fruits like apricots and figs into pieces) and unsalted nuts.
Method
Place the finely chopped dark chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30 second increments, stirring occasionally, until melted, or use the double-boiler method. Set aside to cool slightly. Make sure you have all of your topping ingredients already prepared.
Line two baking trays with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Drop tablespoon sized dollops of chocolate on the prepared trays, at least 5 cm/2in apart (or create smaller mendiants by using a teaspoon measure instead). Bang the trays on the counter once to spread the chocolate a bit.
Place pieces of the fruit and nuts on top of each chocolate disc - work quickly while the chocolate is still liquid. Transfer the trays to the refrigerator to allow the mediants to set for 20-30 minutes. Mendiants can be stored in an air tight container at room temperature for up to five days.
Useful Links
You can find out more about Frank Adrian Barron’s cakes and workshops on his website or follow him on Instagram.
Sweet Paris by Frank Adrian Barron (2022)
One of the oldest chocolate shops in Paris is Debauve & Gallais which is famous for its Pistoles de Marie-Antoinette.
Lovely post, Sam...