I’m back! I moved last week and I could not find anything for a few days. Where on earth is my fountain pen? I thought it was in that box. Here is my laptop but where did the mouse and cord go? I have my wits about me now, thank goodness. Chocolate got me through it. Yes! Chocolate is comforting you know.
One of the chocolate things I ate was a piece of cake from Brenda’s Blessings. The cake was topped with a delicious chocolate frosting that was not too sweet and it had a beautiful, glossy sheen. I was burning to know what was in that frosting. As usual, Brenda was happy to share her recipe for “Chocolate Ganache” with me . . . and with you! This versatile recipe can be used as a glaze, sauce, topping, filling, and a frosting too. The recipe is made of just two ingredients and has only one pot to wash. Yay!
Chocolate Ganache
Two parts chocolate chips or chopped up chocolate bars
One part heavy cream
(For example, two cups chocolate and one cup cream)
That’s all, that’s it! Pour the cream into a saucepan and heat over low until it starts to vigorously steam. Add in the chocolate and stir with a whisk until the texture becomes smooth and silky. Be careful not to overheat the chocolate because it scorches easily.
When you have a simple recipe like this, it’s vitally important that the ingredients are of high quality. America’s Test Kitchen did a blind taste test on chocolate chips several years ago. The taster’s favorite was Ghirardelli 60% Cacao dark chocolate chips. I agree with them. They are not too sweet and are rich with deep chocolatey flavor. Of course you can use semisweet, bittersweet, or milk chocolate if that’s what you prefer. I have not tried this recipe with white chocolate chips but read that you don’t need as much cream, so try a 3 to 1 ratio of chocolate to cream. When the ganache is still warm, it is pourable and then sets up as it cools. You can add different extracts to your ganache like vanilla or peppermint. Chocolate mint! Want mocha? Add instant expresso powder or coffee extract. I read that you can even add different liqueurs, such as Baileys, Grand Marnier, or Kahlua.
I love chocolate dipped bananas. I froze some banana chunks then dipped them in the ganache. Yum! I use the Plenty Method to buy the chocolate chips from a wholesaler and got them for 50% less than I’d pay retail. Now I can eat twice as much chocolate! Thank you, Brenda, for sharing this lovely recipe and helping me get through my move.