Basic Dark Chocolate Ganache

Directions

1. 1
   Place the chopped chocolate in a large heatproof mixing bowl and set aside.
2. 2
   Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it is just about to boil.
3. 3
   Pour it evenly over the chopped chocolate and let the chocolate begin to melt.
4. 4
   Let it sit for 2 minutes.
5. 5
   (It is important to let it sit, because if you begin stirring right away, the air you incorporate will cool the chocolate faster, making it harder for the chocolate to melt smoothly.)
6. 6
   Mix the cream and chocolate together with a rubber spatula or a whisk, working out any lumps of chocolate so that they are fully melted.
7. 7
   Add the butter and vanilla and continue to stir.
8. 8
   If the chocolate or butter stops melting before all the lumps have dispersed, place the bowl over a pan with simmering water and continue to stir constantly until it is fully melted.
9. 9
   Set the ganache aside and let it cool before using.
10. 10
    The ganache should be about the consistency of smooth peanut butter when its ready to ice a cake.
11. 11
    For cakes: Cool the ganache almost to room temperature.
12. 12
    Place the cake on a wire rack set over parchment or waxed paper (to catch any ganache that may drip), and ice the cake as you would with traditional icing (see Icing a Cake, page 14).
13. 13
    If the ganache sets before you finish icing the cake, reheat it over a double boiler, then bring it down to room temperature again to finish the cake.
14. 14
    For cupcakes: Cool the ganache to room temperature and fill a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.
15. 15
    Ice the cupcakes as you would with traditional icing (see Filling a Pastry Bag and Piping, page 11).
16. 16
    If the ganache stiffens, warm it between the palms of your hands or place it near a heated oven until it becomes pliant again.
17. 17
    For cookies: The ganache can be used when its still warm, as long as its firm enough not to drip off the edges of the cookies.
18. 18
    Fill a pastry bag and cut a small hole (no tip necessary), then pipe about 1 teaspoon onto each cookie (see Sandwich Cookies, page 58).
19. 19
    For truffles: While it is still warm, pour the ganache into a prepared 8-inch square baking pan as directed in the recipe for Double Chocolate Truffles (page 172).
20. 20
    For ice cream: Spoon warm ganache over your favorite ice cream and serve immediately.
21. 21
    The ganache can be kept in a heatproof airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 8 weeks.
22. 22
    To reheat, place the container in a pan of simmering water, so that the water comes about halfway to three-quarters of the way up the sides of the container.
23. 23
    Heat it until the sides have melted, then transfer it to a bowl and melt it fully over a double boiler.
24. 24
    The main pitfall in preparing ganache is its tendency to break, whereby the cocoa butter fats pull away from the rest of the mixture and refuse to emulsify.
25. 25
    A broken ganache will result in congealed fat separated from the chocolate when it sets, a problem that is both unattractive and unpalatable.
26. 26
    Breaking is more common with milk or white chocolate ganaches, which have a much higher percentage of cocoa butter content than dark chocolates.
27. 27
    The easiest way to fix a broken ganache is to take half your ganache and reheat it over a double boiler until it is liquefied.
28. 28
    Take the other half and put it in the refrigerator, so that the separated fat solidifies.
29. 29
    Then mix the two halves together, stirring vigorously.
30. 30
    The warm ganache will remelt the fat in the cooler ganache, and the stirring action should help it emulsify with the cream and chocolate.