Need a last minute gift idea? You can make these quick and very decadent little French confections called Mendiants.
I instantly got inspired to make them the second I saw them featured on the beautiful blog, Manger. They’re surprisingly simple to make and inexpensive yet they look like such a high quality treat!
Gather up some dried fruit and nuts, I’m sure you have some in your pantry or cabinets already, use whatever you like, you won’t need much just a handful of each. One other component I added was flaky sea salt, the salt complimented the chocolate so well and gave it a little crunch, I highly recommend using it.
Make sure you use premium dark chocolate and slowly simmer until melted over a double boiler. I bought a 1 pound bar and was able to make 42 mendiants out of it.
Some ideas for toppings are orange peel, apricots, cranberries, golden raisins, figs, coconut, pecans, pistachios, hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds and cashews to name a few. I did plump up my figs, cranberries and golden raisins by placing them in boiling water for 1 minute, make sure to dry them off.
A little goes a long way, you can quarter your figs and cut off small slices from your apricots, you don’t even need to add as much topping as I did.
Now go find some pretty little boxes to place them in and you’re good to go!
Wishing all of you my dear readers a Very Merry Christmas! xox
- Inspired and adapted from the blog, Manger.
- 1 lb. premium dark chocolate, chopped
- A small mix of dried fruits and nuts, set out and ready to go
- Line baking sheets with parchment.
- Melt 80% of the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over an inch of gently simmering water. When chocolate is melted take off the heat and add the other 20% of the chocolate, stirring until all is melted.
- Take a teaspoon of the melted chocolate and drop on to the parchment and smooth out a round disc shape.
- Only do 6 at a time,so as not to cool down the chocolate, then add your desired toppings and finish by sprinkling them with the flaky sea salt.
- Continue until finished, if chocolate starts to harden, place bowl over the simmering water again to melt. ( I didn't have to do it, it stayed melted and warm).
- Let them harden in a cool place or your refrigerator for 15 minutes, then lift off.
- Makes 42
When the holidays start approaching I always get the urge to make homemade pastas. I make ravioli each year but I also enjoy making some other out of the ordinary pastas, like corzetti.
I’ve only made corzetti a few times, once was with my girlfriends when I first got my new stamps, we spent the whole day together making garganelli and corzetti pasta, I did a post on it a couple of years ago 
You can order these heirloom quality crafted stamps from 
Making corzetti is a true labor of love but I can’t imagine a more beautiful pasta to serve for a very special occasion. I wouldn’t recommend making them for a crowd but for a smaller dinner party they are wonderful. They’re just so extraordinary your guests will surely be impressed!
After you get your dough together you’ll want to roll it out thin with a pasta machine. You cut the coin shape with one part of the stamp then flip it over and place the pasta disc on top and then pressing down using the part with the handle, each side will have a design embossed into the pasta, they’re amazing to look at!
I even got my granddaughter to help me make some, she caught on right away and did a great job!
You can freeze them individually which I do, single layer on a baking sheet and then when frozen I place them into freezer bags for later use.
When you’re ready to eat them place into salted boiling water, they will rise to the top and only take about 3 minutes to cook. Scoop out gently with a handheld spider strainer. Treat them with tender loving care.
Although the traditional way to eat corzetti is with a pesto of some sort, we love them just the same with marinara spooned all over the top.
And don’t forget to sprinkle generously with freshly grated romano or parmesan cheese, so, so delicious!
I had some leftover so I tossed them into a brown butter sauce with grated parmesan cheese and added sauteed kale and roasted butternut squash for a wonderful midweek dinner.
Here’s the more traditional way to serve corzetti, a pesto made with olive oil, parsley, basil, garlic, parmesan and walnuts, it’s so scrumptious and really highlights the design.
I can’t think of a better dish for a cold wintery night. Creamy, cheesey, polenta laced with roasted butternut squash and chopped spinach. Guaranteed to warm you up from the inside out. Comfort food in the most delicious way!
Chicago received it’s first snow yesterday and with temperatures predicted mostly in the teens all week the reality of winter is in full force, so it’s comfort foods that are calling my name.
Hearty enough to eat alone or with a nice green salad or it’s just plain wonderful as a side dish next to baked chicken or roasted pork.
Have leftovers? No problem, you can easily morph your leftover butternut squash polenta into another meal by topping it with chunks of Italian sausage and roasted peppers, this is crazy good!
But if all you have left is just a teeny bit, no worries, you can mold it into a small ramekin, warm it up, unmold and plop a cooked egg on the top, my favorite!
I’m Marie, a wife, mother, mother-in-law, and gramma of two beautiful girls. My passion is food, clear and simple but especially Italian food, hence the name of my blog, Proud Italian Cook. I want you to feel right at home here so grab a cup of coffee, I’ll get the pastries, take a look around and enjoy your visit! {
