Chocolate Ganache 101, pt 3

August 25, 2022

Soft and rich, ganache is one of the foundational chocolate techniques. There’s lots of ways to make it complicated, but we prefer the simple approach: just dark chocolate and heavy cream. By changing the ratios in this 2-ingredient recipe, you could make anything from chocolate truffles to a chocolate sauce. We will talk more about that in another post.

The recipe below is best used as a dip, sauce, or soft filling. It can be stored in your refrigerator with a shelf life of about 2 weeks.

Chocolate Ganache “Sauce”

Ingredients:

8 ounces Intrigue Sipping Chocolate or finely chopped dark chocolate bar
8 ounces heavy whipping cream

Directions:

Place chopped chocolate in a medium sized mixing bowl.
Heat cream in a small saucepan over med-low heat until just steaming.
Gently pour warm cream over chocolate. Place a kitchen towel over the bowl and let sit for 4-5 minutes.
With a spatula, gently start mixing the cream and chocolate. The ganache should look smooth and glossy when finished.
If the chopped chocolate has not completely melted, place the bowl in a microwave for 10 seconds and stir. Repeat until just barely melted.
As the ganache sits, the mixture will thicken. Serve as a sauce right away or cover and place in the fridge until needed.

Pro-tips:

Always use a high quality chocolate and cream.
Use craft chocolate for a more intense chocolate experience. Try Intrigue’s Sipping Chocolate or any craft chocolate bar.
If the cream is too hot when poured over chocolate, the mixture could “break” or separate. Make sure it is just steaming off the stove when poured over chocolate.
Be patient, treat gently and never over heat.
If you ganache has set in the fridge or become too thick while you’re using it, place the bowl in a microwave for 10 seconds and stir. Repeat until just barely fluid enough to work with.
Add 1 tablespoon of softened salted butter into your finished (but still warm) ganache to add richness and shine to your ganache.
Add 1 tablespoon of corn syrup to your finished ganache to add extra shine and movement. For example, pouring ganache over a cake or a glaze for an eclair.