Ganache

By sherree

This will make a ganache that is thick and paste-like when it cools like that in the picture to the right. It has the traditional ratio of equal parts chocolate and cream and is the right consistency for piping or filling a pastry. You may thin your ganache with more cream or make a thin ganache thicker with melted chocolate.

Ingredients

• Use up to 1 1/2 cups cream for a thinner, more sauce-like ganache.
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces quality chocolate, cut into pieces
• 4 tablespoons butter
• Bring the cream to a boil. In a medium bowl, pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is
• melted. Stir in the butter. Let the ganache cool until it reaches the desired consistency.
• Vanilla is often added to ganache. I don’t bother.
• Good chocolate doesn’t need additives.
• Can you make ganache in the mic rowave?
• We usually do. Traditionally the cream is scalded
• with the idea that it has a longer shelf life but it’s
• hard to scald in the microwave and very hot is good
• enough.
• Ganache does not need to be refrigerated.
• It has enough sugar and chocolate that it will not
• spoil. Use it within seven days.

Preparation

Step 1

Can you make ganache with cocoa?
You can make ganache with cocoa if it’s very good cocoa. It needs to have a high cocoa butter
content and taste very good. We use Ramstadt Breda Rich Dark Cocoa with up to three times the cocoa
butter and the resulting ganache is very close to that made with fine wafers.
Ganache made with cocoa costs less and you’re more likely to have cocoa on hand than chocolate wafers.
The following recipe will yield a thinner ganache that thickens as it cools.
3/4 cup Ramstadt Breda Rich Dark Cocoa or equal
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1. Mix the cocoa and sugar together in a small
bowl. Melt the butter in the microwave.
2. Add the cocoa and sugar mixture to a small
saucepan. Add the melted butter and
cream. Heat, stirring constantly with a
wire whisk, until the ganache starts to
bubble. Remove from the heat.
3. Let the ganache cool until it reaches the
desired consistency. Thin with additional cream if necessary.