Rich, silky ganache is the resulting alchemy of combining chocolate and cream. While it seems simple enough, there are degrees of texture to consider when making it. As a chocolate candy filling or rolled truffle, you want a ganache that is fudgy at room temp.

Specialty Ingredient

Dark Chocolate
I used Ghirardelli 60% cacao chocolate chips as a staple for ganache and other chocolate decorations. I like the rich, smooth flavor. However, I’ve made this with a basic semi-sweet (in a pinch) and it’s an ok ganache. My kid has no complaints.

Equipment

Glass or Ceramic Bowl
When making smaller batches, I use basic ceramic bowl. For larger batches, I will use a glass bowl. I avoid plastic or metal when working with hot liquids.

Heavy Bottom Sauce pan or Microwave
A thicker bottomed sauce pan will provide more even heating of milk products (milk, cream, etc) with less risk or scalding. With smaller batches, I just use a coffee mug in a microwave. Fancy, I know.

Standard whisk
A basic whisk works well, but you aren’t whipping this up. However it works well to make sure all the bits get incorporated when you slowly stir.

Planning the dish

For piping ganache fillings, you will want to use without a couple hours of making while it is still warm. If it does start to harden, you can reheat to get it back to a liquid.

For stand alone truffles, you will want to make this a day or so ahead of time. The ganache will need to cool to harden so you can scoop and shape balls.

Pairing Alterations

Flavor additions: You can add a bit of flavor to the ganache filling by adding it to the cream as it is heating. Consider orange peel, ginger, cardamon, or fresh mint

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Chocolate Truffle Ganache

Thick and creamy dark chocolate ganache recipe is a luxurious filling for chocolate candies. Versatile uses for fillings or stand alone truffle. An incredibly flexible base for variety of flavors, consistency or additions.

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Ingredients

8 ounces dark chocolate, 60% – 65% chopped or chips
10 ounces heavy cream

Instructions

Prepare chocolate: Place chocolate chips (or chopped up into chip size) into a heat proof bowl.
Heat Cream: put heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer (do not boil). Or you can heat carefully in the microwave until it just starts to bubble. Again, don’t le it boil.
Pour Cream: once the cream is very hot, pour over the bowl of chocolate and let it sit for a few minutes. Less than 6oz batch at 3 minutes, larger batches at 5 minutes. This allows the hot cream to melt the chocolate fully and cool a bit. If you whisk too early, you get gritty ganache.
Whisk mixture: Start slow by putting you whisk in the enter and make slow small circles. As you feel the chocolate give, make bigger circles maintaining a smooth, slow speed. The mixture will begin to really blend together. Then it will get glossy and thicken up like pudding.
Pipe Warm: this ganache will be pipeable while it is still warm. Otherwise it will set up quite thick. If it sets too quickly, you can pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to heat back up.

Notes

Ganache can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. To soften it, allow it to come to room temperature or heat it in short bursts in the microwave until your desired consistency is reached.

Keyword chocolate, filling