How to always make the best chocolate ganache in the world?

How to always make the best chocolate ganache in the world?

For the most of us, some of our favorite childhood recipes and comfort foods are simple. Many of these are two or three ingredient recipes that need minimal time to prep and cook. That is the beauty of simple and traditional recipes. They use minimal equipment and ingredients to whip up some of the most delicious meals.

Ganache is a simple two-ingredient recipe that can be a part of your chocolate cake glazes, pastries, and cake filling. In reality, any of us would love to have this ganache as the main course. Alas! Being an adult exacts a price, which is why we have to derive our pleasure from licking the spatula and leftover ganache from our fingers at the end of the process. Nonetheless, ganache goes well with tons of dessert recipes. Its use is endless, and it will definitely enhance your culinary creativity.

The quality of ganache you make will depend on the type of chocolate you pick. It is one of those simple recipes that do not call for a lot of training, equipment, and practice. It can be your go-to creative corner after a long day at work (and, of course, you get to treat yourself with a delicious chocolate cake later on). Not choosing the right chocolate can take a toll on the flavor of your final product. Today, the variety of chocolates you can buy at the market would throw Willy Wonka in a tizzy. While it is a matter of personal taste, the different sugar and fat content in the variants will determine the final quality of the ganache.

What chocolate is the best choice for making a ganache?

You may want to go with milk chocolates since they are sweeter and creamier, but remember that ganache calls for the addition of heavy cream that has an inherent sweetness and it will incorporate more fats into the recipe. Bittersweet chocolates are the better choice for making icing and baking. We do not want you to waste your ingredients, so why don’t you follow this to find out which chocolate will be a better choice for your recipe –

1. Bitter chocolates – these are the ones with over 70% of cocoa solids. You may end up with a bar with over 84% of cocoa, and that is great if you want a robust flavor and a thick ganache.
2. Bitter-sweet – the chocolate contains between 60% and 70% solids. It is an excellent balance between sweet and bitter. It is an excellent choice for most recipes.
3. Regular/plain chocolate – this variant has between 30% and 35% cocoa solids, and the rest is milk fats and sugar. It has a sweeter flavor than the bitter-sweet variant.
4. Milk chocolate – it has only about 20% to 40% cocoa. It is best for light desserts. It is not a smart choice for ganache and truffles. The resulting mix is often thinner than the ideal consistency of ganache.

What will be the flavor of your chocolate ganache?

When you are making a ganache, you need to pay attention to the ratio of the heavy cream and the chocolate. Make a note not to use whipped cream. The plain whipped cream has about 30% milk fat, and that is not enough for this recipe. Always pick a whipped cream with a minimum of 36% fat. Try looking for 40%, if you can. That is what most pastry chefs prefer for their ganache and truffle recipes.

Here’s the golden ratio for making a ganache with bittersweet chocolate and heavy (36% to 40%) cream 

1. For a rich, creamy and thick ganache, always combine two parts of chocolate with one part heavy cream. You should be able to scoop the resulting mix into chocolate truffles.
2. For a whipped cake filling or a thick, shiny glaze, mix chocolate and cream in equal proportions.
3. For a runnier chocolate sauce or a pourable glaze for cakes, you should go for one part chocolate and two parts cream.

These ratios are ideal for bittersweet chocolates only, and they will not work well for milk chocolates and white chocolates.

In reality, getting the proportions right is quite easy. For a thinner ganache, you need to include more volume of heavy cream and to make it thicker; you need to add more chocolate. The final flavor will depend on the chocolate you pick, but you can also include additional components to the ganache to give it an exotic and personal touch. You can add fresh lavender, pink peppercorns, steep some coffee or include fruit purees for a fresh flavor.

How to make the ganache?

While making the ganache, never put the chocolate and heavy cream together in the microwave or on the oven.

• Chop the bittersweet chocolate finely and keep it in a heatproof bowl. If the bowl comes with a firm-fitting lid, that’s brilliant. In case it does not, you can use heatproof cling film to cover it.
• Always heat the heavy cream in a thick bottomed saucepan. Be thorough about the process; keep stirring to distribute the heat evenly. Heavy cream burns as well, so do not heat it on a high flame. Bring it to a gradual simmer.
• Pour the simmering hot cream on the chocolate. Be sure the cream covers the chocolate thoroughly. Cover the bowl with the lid or the film. Leave it for 3-4 minutes.
• For a smooth cream that is heavy and glazed (without any air bubbles), use a rubber or silicone spatula to fold the chocolate into the cream. Never use a whisk for making ganache for smooth cake glazes or truffle fillings.
• Another way to mix the chocolate is by whisking it. This process incorporates a lot of air bubbles. It is perfect for cake filling. The air makes the mix more stable than the regular ganache.

Making a ganache was never that tough, but with this set of guidelines, it will always turn out great. Do you have a bake sale coming? You will definitely be the highest seller with these tips in mind!

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates