Ganache Cream

Ganache is a velvety cream commonly used in pastry to fill or cover sweets. The classic version is made with chocolate and cream, but it can be personalized in many ways. Here’s how to prepare it:

Ingredients

• 200 g of good quality chocolate (milk, dark, or white, according to taste)
• 200 ml of fresh cream (you can use cream with a fat content of 35% to achieve the ideal consistency)

Preparation

1. Start by finely chopping the chocolate with a serrated knife or a grater. A fine chop helps the chocolate to melt more evenly once the warm cream is added.
2. Pour the cream into a saucepan and heat over medium heat until it nearly boils. You only need to heat it until small bubbles begin to form along the edge of the pan.
3. Place the chopped chocolate in a heat-resistant bowl.
4. Once the cream is hot, pour it over the chocolate in the bowl. Leave the mixture to sit for about a minute to allow the chocolate to start melting.
5. After a minute, begin to stir with a spatula or a wooden spoon, starting from the center and continuing in circular motions until the cream and chocolate are blended into a smooth and homogeneous cream.
6. Let the ganache cool to room temperature. If you want it to have a firmer consistency, suitable for fillings or glazes, let it rest in the refrigerator for a few hours.

Fun Fact

Ganache is a French preparation, and the name seems to derive from a mistake made by an apprentice pastry chef who poured boiling cream over some chocolate. The master pastry chef would have called him a “ganache,” a word that at the time in Parisian slang meant foolish or clumsy. Despite the accidental start, the result was so delicious that the preparation became a classic in pastry.

Remember that if you want a lighter and fluffier ganache, you can whip it with electric beaters once it has cooled. If, however, you want to give an Italian twist to the recipe, you could flavor your ganache with an Italian liqueur, for example, some Amaretto or Grappa for a distinctive note.