Ganache 101
Lately, I've been busy knocking out a few chocolate workshops. I've had a few questions that I keep hearing from my workshops and I'm about to make a new batch of ganache to try out some new flavor ideas, so ganache is on my mind.
I love ganache, it's simple, it's sweet and it doesn't give me much of a hassle.
A basic ganache is equal parts chocolate and cream. I use a heavy cream in most of my recipes in England that would be like a double cream.
When it comes to chocolate truffles, ganache is the smooth, creamy center that melts in your mouth when you take a bite.
Let's talk about ganache...
Usually, I make the ganache for my fillings ahead of time, since hand tempering, enrobing and decorating take up most of my chocolate workshop time.
What is ganache?
Rumor has it that ganache, which means idiot in French came about when a French chocolatier's assistant accidentally poured hot cream over chocolate angering the chocolatier who shouted at him, "ganache, ganache!"
Initially, at it's most basic form ganache appears to be a mixture of chocolate and cream but it is not my friends, it is quite the opposite.
Ganache is a stable fat-in- water emulsion, or a mixture of two or more liquids that are normally unmixable...I made up that word but you get the idea.
When you create a stable ganache you are evenly dispersing the fat droplets of the cocoa butter with the fat droplets of the cream into liquid.
A basic ganache is simple, creamy and delicious. There are numerous ganache recipes, some using butter, oil, coconut milk. Once you master a simple, cream and chocolate ganache you can play around and really have fun. I will post ganache flavoring recipes soon!
Ganache chocolate to cream ratio:
1:1 Dark chocolate
1.5:1 Milk chocolate
2:1 White chocolate
So... 1 cup chopped dark chocolate + 1 cup heavy cream, etc..
For a hand-rolled ganache, add more chocolate and for a smoother ganache for piping you can lessen the chocolate or slightly up the cream, though I feel the ratio above is perfect for piping.
Start with chopped up chocolate. I usually use my left over tempered slabs and chop them finely. This is 12 oz. Callebaut milk chocolate ready to be chopped finely.
For this recipe, I made milk chocolate mint ganache. I started with 8 oz. cream that I soaked fresh mint in overnight.
I heated the cream and mint just to a boil, and strained the mint out while I poured the cream into the chocolate.
Stir from the center.
Keep stirring...
Done! Smooth, creamy ganache. Set aside in a cool 68º F room or if it's very hot, your fridge. Allow to set and firm before piping or rolling.
Store at room temp for 1-2 days, in fridge for up to one week and you can freeze for about a month.
