Chocolate Mendiants with Dried Edible Flower Petals
Tue, 10 December 2024
These are so easy to make and are brilliant homemade gifts or to serve as petit fours with coffee at the end of a meal. They are also a really lovely way to showcase the beautiful, dried flower petals you have made
Ingredients –
100g white chocolate
100g milk chocolate
100g dark chocolate
A selection of toasted nuts and seeds – I’ve used roasted hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios (the green is particularly lovely), pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds
A selection of dried fruit – I’ve used dried cherries, golden sultanas and dried figs
A selection of dried flower petals – I’ve used cornflowers, rose petals, gorse, calendula and chrysanthemum
Method –
Roughly chop any larger nuts and dried fruit, such as hazelnuts, pistachios, pecans and dried figs.
Melt the white chocolate either by putting it in a bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water (a Bain Marie), making sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl, or in the microwave. When melting chocolate, it is really important the chocolate doesn’t get too hot, or it might split. If you are using a Bain Marie allow the chocolate to start to melt and then give it a stir to help it along. If the water is getting too hot just turn it off and the remaining heat in the water should melt the chocolate. If you are using a microwave, take the chocolate out every 15 seconds and give it a stir. Once the chocolate is mostly melting as you stir don’t put it back in the microwave just stir and the residual heat will melt the chocolate.
Line a tray with a silicone baking mat or baking parchment. Use a teaspoon to dollop the melted chocolate onto the lined tray. I find a pointed teaspoon works well - if you pour the chocolate off the point of the teaspoon where you want the middle of the chocolate to be it should spread out into a neat-ish circle about 4cm across.
Make about 5 chocolates and then decorate with a mix of toasted nuts, seeds, dried fruit and dried flower petals. Then repeat. Don’t dollop all the chocolates out before decorating as the chocolate might set before you put the toppings on and they won’t stick.
If the white chocolate gets too thick in the bowl then just put it back on the Bain Marie for a couple of minutes or in the microwave for 15 seconds to melt it again.
Once you have finished the white chocolate repeat with the milk chocolate and then the dark chocolate. Leave to set and then store in an airtight container until you need them.
