Can deep, dark, intense, rich, velvety smooth chocolate be a spiritual experience? It certainly is heavenly when mixed with cream. Praise the pastry angels and pass the bonbons! This is the basic ganache recipe. Use it for truffles, tarts, fillings, you name it. Follow the same technique when adjusting the recipe for firm and soft ganache. An alternative food processor method is given, which can be applied to any ganache recipe in this chapter. My desire is not only to introduce you to ganache but also to make it a staple in your refrigerator. As long as you don’t eat it all as a midnight snack, it can be available to help you throw together dessert at a moment’s notice.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 3 hr 15 min |
| Prep: | 5 min |
| Inactive: | 3 hr |
| Cook: | 10 min |
| Yield: | 2 cups |
Ingredients
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Using a serrated knife, finely chop the chocolate into 1/4-inch pieces. Don’t be lazy here. Big chunks will not melt.
- Traditional method: Place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Boiling means the cream will actually rise up in the pan and threaten to boil over.
- Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chopped chocolate. Tap the bowl on the counter to settle the chocolate into the cream, then let it sit for 1 minute. Using a rubber spatula, slowly stir in a circular motion, starting from the center of the bowl, and working out to the sides. Be careful not to add too much air to the ganache. Stir until all the chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes. It may look done after 1 minute of stirring, but keep going to be sure it’s emulsified.
- Food processor method: Place the chopped chocolate in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat (or bring to a boil in the microwave.)
- Immediately pour the hot cream into the food processor, on top of the chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute, then pulse the machine 3 times. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula and pulse 3 more times, until all the chocolate is melted. This smooth, silky chocolate is now ganache. Transfer the ganache to a bowl.
- Let the ganache sit at room temperature until it cools to 70 degrees F. In a 65 degree F room, this will take approximately 4 hours or 2 hours in the refrigerator. You can speed up the process by pouring the ganache out onto a clean baking sheet (thinner layers cool faster.) Once the ganache reaches 70 degrees F, it is ready to be used. At this point it can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 239 |
| Total Fat | 20 g |
| Saturated Fat | 12 g |
| Carbohydrates | 19 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 16 g |
| Protein | 2 g |
| Cholesterol | 41 mg |
| Sodium | 14 mg |
Reviews
Perfect recipe! Used it as a topping for cheesecake and everyone loved it.
I loved how easy it was to do it. I added a little brandy flavoring to it and created some truffles. I have had good feedback from it. Thank you.
Simple yet very useful recipe. I use it over and over for my PMS cake!
This was so easy, and so good!
This is a quick, wonderful recipe. I used it for chocolate mousse cakes and it turned out wonderfully. Has a beautiful finish.
This was an excellent ganache! I used it over a dark chocolate cake, and added a bit of strong brewed coffee.
Easy. I used it in between layers of a chocolate cake and in a parfait. Next will be brownies!
these recipes are easy to follow and the measurements are right on, once i got it down I made it my own by adding to it. I Have fun with this one.
I make chocolates and this is the standard recipe for ganache! Its great-
This is one of the best recipes for ganache that I have found