GMA Recipe: Master Ganache

Click here for
Recent Recipes
(presented in the past few months)

The following are recipes categorized from the archives of recipes broadcast on Good Morning America.

Appetizers

Breakfast

Beverages

Breads
Desserts

Cakes

Cookies

Pies

Other Desserts

Fish

Low Fat/Low Carb

Holidays

Meat

Pasta

Poultry

Quick Recipes

Sandwiches

Salads

Side Dishes

Soups

Vegetables

Master Ganache
From chef and author, Sherry Yard
December 25, 2003

If you're a fan of chocolate desserts, you'll fall in love with Sherry Yard's latest creations. Yard, the executive pastry chef at Wolfgang Puck's Spago at Beverly Hills, shared some of her most amazing chocolate dessert recipes with Good Morning America.

The following collection of Yard's recipes come from her new book, The Secrets of Baking. The recipe book is packed with everything from chocolate ganache to fudge fondue.

Sherry made a bunch of her recipes on GMA. They include Master Ganache, Campton Place Hot Chocolate, Chocolate Whipped Cream, Fudge Fondue, Chocolate Short Dough and Truffles.

All recipes are exerpted from Secrets of Baking: Simple Techniques for Sophisticated Desserts by Sherry Yard © 2003, Houghton Mifflin Co.

This is Yard's recipe for a basic ganache. You can use it for truffles, tarts, fillings and other sweet treats. Follow the same technique when adjusting the recipe for firm and soft ganache. An alternative food processor method is provided below.

Ingredients

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate

1 cup heavy cream

Candy thermometer

Food processor (optional)

Traditional Directions

1. Using a serrated knife, finely chop the chocolate into 1/4-inch pieces. Big chunks will not melt. Yard prefers using a serrated knife for chopping chocolate. She says it's safer because the blade doesn't slip off the hard surface of the chocolate. And she finds it is easier to get small chunks with the serrated knife.

2. Place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Boiling means the cream will actually rise up in the pan and threaten to boil over.

3. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chopped chocolate. Tap the bowl on the counter to settle the chocolate into the cream, then let it sit for 1 minute. Using a rubber spatula, slowly stir in a circular motion, starting from the center of the bowl and working out to the sides. Be careful not to add too much air to the ganache. Stir until all the chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes. It may look done after 1 minute of stirring, but keep going to be sure it's emulsified.

Food Processor Directions

1. Using a serrated knife, finely chop the chocolate into 1/4-inch pieces. Big chunks will not melt. Yard prefers using a serrated knife for chopping chocolate. She says it's safer because the blade doesn't slip off the hard surface of the chocolate. And she finds it is easier to get small chunks with the serrated knife.

2. Place the chopped chocolate in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat (or bring to a boil in the microwave).

3. Immediately pour the hot cream into the food processor, on top of the chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute, then pulse the machine three times. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula and pulse three more times, until all the chocolate is melted. This smooth, silky chocolate is now ganache. Transfer the ganache to a bowl. Yield: 2 cups

4. Let the ganache sit at room temperature until it cools to 70°F. In a 65°F room, this will take only 15 minutes. You can speed up the process by pouring the ganache out onto a clean baking sheet (thinner layers cool faster). Once the ganache reaches 70°F, it is ready to be used. At this point it can also be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Variations

Tangy Ganache:
Replace all or part of the cream with créme fraîche.

Earl Grey Ganache:
Place 1 bag of Earl Grey tea in the cream and bring it to a boil. Cover and let it steep for 10 minutes. Remove the tea bag and squeeze over the cream. Rewarm the tea-infused cream and continue with the recipe.

Lavender Ganache:
Place 1 to 2 tablespoons lavender flowers in the cream and bring it to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover, and let it steep for 10 minutes. Strain and rewarm the lavender-infused cream, then continue with the recipe.

Orange Ganache:
Add 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest to the cream and bring to a boil; strain into the chocolate. When the ganache is complete, add 1 tablespoon of Grand Marnier.

Recipes exerpted from Secrets of Baking: Simple Techniques for Sophisticated Desserts by Sherry Yard © 2003, Houghton Mifflin Co.