Molecular Mignardise: Chocolate & Olive Oil Powder

Molecular Mignardise

Hand-Broken 85% Cacao Dark Bitter Chocolate
Olive Oil Powder, Olive Oil, Raw Cacao Nibs, Fleur de Sel

One last little sweet bite to seal the deal, to say goodnight to a grand meal that is now only a memory. The French have a name for these bites: mignardises. Usually tiny but elaborate, often consisting of many types or flavors, like pâtes de fruits and miniature macarons. 

In a tradition dating back to 18th-century France, pastry chefs would end their workday by placing small treats in the ovens to cook in the residual heat leftover from a day of baking. The name mignardise comes from the Old French word “mignard,” describing something dainty, graceful, delicate.

Home cooks can easily offer a playful parting gesture from their kitchen too, creating a final impression and allowing the pleasure of the meal to linger…and it only takes about 5 minutes!

Molecular Mignardise Recipe

Break dark chocolate into irregular bite-sized pieces.

Combine 1/4 c. tapioca maltodextrin with 1 T. top quality fruity olive oil.
Blend together until it becomes a powder.
Add more tapioca maltodextrin to get a powdery consistency, if necessary.

Organic tapioca maltodextrin can be ordered online. It is a flavorless food-grade dextrose made from tapioca. In molecular gastronomy circles, it is used to turn oil into powder. When the powder hits the mouth, it bewilders the diner by reconstituting back to oil!

Drizzle olive oil onto serving platter.
Arrange chocolate pieces over the olive oil.

Drizzle a few drops of olive oil onto the chocolate pieces.
Top with a sprinkling of fleur de del and raw cacao nibs.
Use a spider or coarse mesh sieve to sprinkle olive oil powder over the chocolate.

Serve these intriguing little bites at the very end of a meal to delight your guests~
with coffee, espresso, or a snifter of your favorite spirit.