Chocolate Ganache

OUR LOVE AFFAIR WITH CHOCOLATE

For thousands of years us humans have been in love with chocolate. It is a symbol of love and affection. It may also cause a natural ‘high’ that can elevate our mood. Some believe the chemical which makes up chocolate-Phenylethlalanine (PEA), aka the “love chemical”, triggers a dopamine release which is associated with falling in love. All good stuff!

Of course on Valentine’s Day it is especially popular. In fact, Valentine’s Day is the largest sales day of boxed chocolates. I decided to make my husband a special Chocolate Ganache served over a Meyer Lemon Sherbet I made earlier in the week.

I found this recipe online and it is the simplest, easiest, best ever Chocolate Ganache I have ever made or eaten. It contains two ingredients: Chocolate and Heavy Cream. Once you make it, you will never again buy that stuff in the bottle that is labeled Chocolate Sauce. It literally takes less than 10 minutes to make this luscious sauce.

Start by heating one cup of heavy cream until it just begins to bubble. Just as soon as you see a simmer, remove it from the heat and pour over the chocolate chips. Swirl the bowl to be sure all the chocolate is covered.

I used 1 cup of Ghiradelli Sweet chocolate chips and 1/3 cup of Baker’s Unsweetened Chocolate cut into small pieces. You can use different proportions of sweet vs. semi-sweet vs. unsweetened chocolate, but this combo is perfect. Sweet, but not cloying.

Place a lid (or piece of aluminum foil) over the chocolate chips to trap the heat. Let it sit without mixing for 5 minutes. Remove the cover and swirl the chocolate with a rubber spatula. Start in the center and work outward until the mixture is very smooth and shiny.

Let the Chocolate Ganache sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before pouring over ice cream; or in this case Sherbet. You can also use this Ganache to glaze or fill a cake, dip churros in, swirl into chocolate banana Bundt cake, or top peanut butter cookies with this glorious sauce.

One story about the origin of ganache is that a 19th century apprentice in a French patisserie accidentally spilled hot cream into a bowl of chocolate. To cover his mistake, he mixed the two ingredients together. His master called him “un ganache,” which can be translated as “idiot or fool”. His mistake became our treat and the beautiful chocolate sauce was named after the young chef: GANACHE!

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Chocolate Ganache

Rich and deeply satisfying with a very silky texture.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Heavy cream
• 1 cup Sweetened Chocolate chips; good quality
• 1/3 cup Unsweetened chocolate; cut into small pieces

Instructions

• In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream just to a simmer. As soon as it begins to bubble, remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Swirl the bowl to ensure all chocolate is covered.
• Cover the bowl to trap the heat. Let it sit without mixing for 5 minutes, then remove the cover and stir the chocolate with a rubber spatula. Start in the center and work outward until the mixture is smooth and shiny. DO NOT overmix.
• Let the ganache sit at room temperate for 15 minutes, then serve.