Mendiants - Beautiful Little Chocolates

These are the cutest little things I've seen in ages. Mendiants are simple to make but the finished article is so elegant you'd be forgiven for thinking you'd bought them for an expensive chocolatier!

• Ready In: 19 mins
• Serves: 10
• Yields: 50 chocolates

Ingredients

• 8  ounces  best-quality dark chocolate
• 2  tablespoons  green pistachio nuts
• 1⁄2 cup golden raisin
• 1⁄2 cup  blanched almond
• 4  ounces  candied orange peel (in strips)

Directions

1. Place a sheet of waxed paper on a marble slab or other smooth, cold surface. Melt chocolate in a microwave oven or in a bowl over hot water. (To make life easier only melt 1/2 the chocolate first then the other half).
2. Place a scant teaspoonful of melted chocolate on the sheet, and shape into a disk using the back of a spoon. Make several at a time so that the chocolate does not become too cool.
3. Place a pistachio, raisin, almond, and halved strip of orange peel on each disk, and leave to cool completely.
4. The mendiants are ready when they come off the waxed paper with ease.