BASIC RECIPE: MAKING EXQUISITE CHOCOLATE ICING/GANACHE

Ganache - Chocolate Cream Icing - is a pastry chef's staple but is surprisingly easy to make at home...

Rich chocolate ganache, pouring consistency, but you can also cool & whip it.

'Amazing! Sensational! More, more, more!' Taster

You know that thick creamy chocolate that often appears as a shiny silky glaze that drapes over and drips down cakes & pastries?  Or as a rich whipped icing or filling in upmarket cakes?  

That's what's known as ganache -- a blend of rich double cream, baking chocolate and flavouring.

And it is so easy to make at home.  

Dark chocolate seems to be the most popular ganache but it also comes in white chocolate.

The base makes the most exquisite home-made truffles or a tart filling in a rich shortcrust pie shell, as well as icings and fillings. 

Give it a go; even if the first batch goes a little wrong, you'll get it right next time.

Cost: £1.75
Makes: enough for 20 cupcakes, or two 7inch cakes

Ingreds:

    4 oz/115gm white or dark (baking) chocolate
    90 ml double cream 

    1/2 tsp flavouring of choice: vanilla, orange essence, peppermint essence, liquours etc 


Method:

1. Chop chocolate finely; set aside
2. Heat cream in a small heavy bottomed saucepan; when tiny bubbles appear at the outer edge of the pot and steam starts rising, it is ready (don't let it boil).
3. Take off the heat; add chocolate in 3 stages, whisking each time until the previous addition has melted before adding the next 
4. Add flavouring
5. At this stage, the ganache can be poured over a cake or used as a dip for cookies or doughnuts

OR for a glorious thick and delicious filling or icing:

1. Pour into a heatproof bowl & clingfilm. 
2. Allow to cool then refrigerate at least a couple of hours
3. Take out of fridge; when ganache softens but is still slighty firm;  beat with electric beaters until thick and soft-textured
4. Spread over a cake as icing, use as filling between cake, cookie or pastry layers or serve as a dip with cake fingers or cake pops

Comments:

'What is this amazing sensational stuff?  Give me more, more, more!' Retired writer

Tips:

The ganache will keep in the fridge a couple of weeks or can be frozen and defrosted when needed again

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This recipe has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.