Ganache Chocolate Recipe

Ganache chocolate is a luxuriously decadent topping and filling that makes everyday cakes, cookies, and pastries boldly and extravagantly gourmet.  Ganache chocolate comes from the French culinary tradition, and since we're also of French decent, it is our duty to honor our forefathers by promoting the use of ganache whenever possible.  I like to call our chocolate ganache recipe, Ganache with Panache.

Traditional ganache is made from just cream and chocolate, but since we have a hard time doing just about anything the traditional way, we use 4 ingredients: semi-sweet chocolate, heavy cream, confectioners sugar, and instant coffee.  We've found that by adding the confectioners sugar, the ganache has less of the bitter taste found in traditional ganache and in addition, it gives it more body allowing it to 'hug' cake better.  We all want to hug cake, don't we?  It also makes ganache that is incredibly shiny and lip-smackingly de-luscious.  The instant coffee kicks the chocolate up a notch...and fyi, it may also potentially keep you awake a little longer if you're enjoying at night.

Speaking of 'enjoying the night', after watching the amazing half-time performance of Bruno Mars during the Superbowl, we decided our Ganache video would be another great showcase for his unparalleled talent:

Ganache with Panache                                    Print

Ingredients

8 oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

1 tsp instant coffee

Directions

1.  Chop chocolate into small pieces to ensure even melting.

2.  Create a double boiler by placing a heat-proof bowl over pot with a few inches of simmering water.

3.  Pour chocolate into bowl and add cream, sugar, and instant coffee while stirring.

4.  Once chocolate has melted, and it looks creamy and de-luscious, it's done.

If you're using this ganache as a cake topper, and you can't wait for it to cool because you are in dire need of sweetness, we suggest wearing an oven glove to hold the bowl while using a ladle to 'bathe' the cake.  If you haven't started drooling at this point, you are a stronger person than I.

Savourer!