So I was dosing on nitrous oxide at the dentist (good thing my religion prevents me from using drugs and alcohol because I would be an addict, I love me some dentist chair) All the while watching some random cooking demonstration on PBS. The woman was making all kinds of wonderful things with chocolate. She made a chocolate cake using the exact modified cake recipe that I always use. Right there I knew we were kindred spirits (its amazing what kind of emotions the laughing gas will evoke). Instead of frosting the cake with a regular chocolate butter cream frosting, she used ganache. Only a week earlier I was questioning what ganache was when I was watching celebrity apprentice (I how embarrassing to admit, could Donald Trump love himself anymore?) and I saw some cupcakes filled with ganache and didn't know what it was. So this beautiful woman on PBS was basically summoning me to make ganache. I accepted the call.
Unfortunately, my ganache wasn't as pretty as hers was, but boy did it taste good. It blew regular frosting out of the water.
Ganache is basically heavy whipping cream and melted chocolate. I used 2 cups of whipping cream and 3 big symphony chocolate bars that I ran through the food processor till it was chopped up.
So you bring your whipping cream to a fairly violent boil, turn it off and add the chopped up chocolate and stir until smooth. Once it cools you could use it as is to GLAZE a cake. Its pretty runny. Now the beautiful PBS lady whipped hers and it was light and fluffy. I tried to whip mine and it would take much air, it got lighter in color and a little more fluffy, but not as good as I liked, so I still need to work on it. I frosted my three layers with the ganache and served it after sunday dinner. Everyone oohed and aahhed.
One day I hope to meet my kindred spirit, whom ever she may be . . . .
1 comment:
Just ran across your posting, and I realize it's a bit dated, BUT it's regarding CHOCOLATE - thus, I respond.
Typically ganache is equal portions cream and chocolate. To get a looser ganache use more cream, for a firmer one, use a 2 to one ratio (more chocolate). To icing a cake, most the pastry chefs I work with use a 3 to 1 ratio - however; I've used the 2 to 1 and simply incorporated air via whisk. Popping your finished product into the fridge for a tad will firm it right up as well, but don't leave it in there or it will sweat and bloom on you upon removal.
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