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Centre-Val de Loire
"Born in 1893 amidst the euphoria of the Franco-Russian Alliance, this little sweet requires several days of drying before being sold. A heart of almond-hazelnut praliné, chocolate and butter, robed in white Swiss meringue. Its name pays tribute to a Russian prince, confidant of Peter the Great — and, reputedly, the son of a pastry cook."
Confectionery from Centre-Val de Loire.
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The mentchikoff was born in the autumn of 1893, against a very specific diplomatic backdrop: France and Imperial Russia had just signed a military cooperation agreement — the Franco-Russian Alliance — which caused a great stir across Europe. This accord inspired several gourmet creations 'à la russe' across the country, including the famous crème à la russe.
The confectioner Daumesnil, based in rue de la Pie in Chartres, seized the opportunity to create a confection in honour of the event: a small, dual-textured sweet — a heart of almond-hazelnut praliné coated in meringue — named Mentchikoff, in reference to Prince Alexandre Danilovitch Menchikov, favourite and confidant of Emperor Peter the Great of Russia, who died in Siberia in 1729 after falling from grace. According to certain sources, this prince was apprenticed as a child to a pastry cook by his father — himself a pastry cook —, before catching the attention of Peter the Great with his witty retorts; a mischievous nod from the Chartres confectioner, if the anecdote is true.
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Originally, the meringue enveloping the mentchikoff was tinted pale green; it has since given way to an immaculate white meringue, described in Chartres as having 'the whiteness of the Russian steppes under snow'.
The recipe is based on a heart of almond-hazelnut praliné blended with dark chocolate and butter, coated in a Swiss meringue made from whisked egg whites and icing sugar. The combination of textures — the melt-in-the-mouth chocolate praliné and the light crunch of the meringue — gives the mentchikoff its unique character.
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What is striking about the making of the mentchikoff is the number of steps separated by resting times: the praliné centre is cut out with a pastry cutter then rolled by hand, before being left to form a crust overnight; the following day, one side is dipped in Swiss meringue and left to dry, and only on the next day is the second side dipped in turn before drying once more. Spreading the process over several days cannot be rushed without compromising the hold of the meringue.
Even today, mentchikoffs are rolled by hand before being packaged in bags or in boxes decorated with an original engraving of Chartres Cathedral. This manual craft, unchanged for over 130 years, guarantees the artisanal savoir-faire that distinguishes the mentchikoff de Chartres from any industrial imitation.
Appearance
White, matte and slightly powdery surface; regular rounded shape; small round sweet the size of a large hazelnut.
Aroma
Understated aroma of roasted hazelnut and cocoa, without intensity — a light, sweet, appetizing scent.
Taste
Roasted hazelnut, bitter cocoa, rich butter; sweet and indulgent overall with tension between crystallised sugar and the delicate bitterness of the chocolate. The praliné heart lingers on the finish; moderate sweetness despite its appearance.
Texture
Fragile Swiss meringue, slightly grainy to the touch; melting chocolate praliné heart contrasting with the crispness of the coating.
Roasted almonds and hazelnuts, mixed with dark chocolate, milk chocolate and butter until a smooth paste is obtained
Left to rest overnight so the shaped centre firms up before coating
Egg whites and icing sugar gently heated together until a stiff meringue forms
Packed in bags or boxes illustrated with an original engraving of Chartres Cathedral
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The mentchikoff is best enjoyed with coffee or a black tea — its praliné heart opens up in contact with the warmth of a hot drink. In a chocolate tasting, it belongs among the delicate individual pieces, to be savoured slowly, letting the meringue melt before biting into the centre.
It pairs well with a light Sancerre rouge or a chilled Pineau des Charentes — the vinous sweetness harmonising with the hazelnut praliné. Given as a gift, the cathedral box has been an ambassador for Chartres for over a century.
No official label (PDO (AOP), PGI (IGP), Label Rouge) currently protects the mentchikoff de Chartres. This confectionery remains a traditional speciality without SIQO certification, whose recipe relies on artisanal savoir-faire handed down since the 19th century: a hazelnut, chocolate and butter praliné coated in Swiss meringue, shaped by hand.
Artisanal chocolate and confectionery maker
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