# Ganache ingredients



## acutsh1 (Sep 26, 2013)

I have a recipe for ganache ( ingredients below). Most recommend using a whipping cream with a 35-40% butterfat content and semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (60percent cacao) with no vegetable fat. I am having a hard time when shopping for the ingredients.
- when I read label label on whipping cream it lists around 5% fat per serving
- chocolate do not list percentage of cacao and all use soy as an emulsifier .
Am I misunderstanding what I am reading? If not where might find what I need?
Thx


3 cups heavy cream
4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, chopped
1 pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons sugar


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## chefbuba (Feb 17, 2010)

60% chocolate

A guide to cream


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

The 5% you are seeing is probably the % of the daily nutritional value recommended, not the fat content of the product. The U.S. government standards for a product to be classified as whipping cream are between 30 - 36%, heavy cream needs a minimum of 36%.

Both Callebaut and Ghirardelli offer chocolates that are 60% cocoa. As to the soy lecithin as an emulsifier, I don't know how you are going to get around that.


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## tricia775 (Jan 8, 2013)

For a small at home recipe for ganache as long as you have either "whipping" or "heavy" cream you'll be fine. Same goes for the chocolate, any semisweet or bittersweet you can find in the store will work well. Bittersweet bars or semisweet chips are good.  

I have noticed this problem though, trying to do pro recipes at home can be difficult because ingredients found in stores don't have this type of info: % on chocolate, etc, if you can find them in stores at all... 

Anyway, my point is, ganache isn't that finicky.

Recipes that involve chocolate can be tricky because it can be confusing with the need to know %'s and whether it is true couverture or not, but ganache isn't really one of them luckily. It makes it easy to make truffles at home   

That info from chefbuba is useful for the cream, since the ones in the store dont have it.

hope that helped


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## soesje (Dec 6, 2012)

when you use a good brand (recommended above, also valrhona but dunno if thats available in your country) soy lecithin should not be an issue.

use about equal measurements for your ganache.

say 4 oz chocolate to half cup cream. you can add in some brandy or whiskey or any other booze if you like. 

melt together on medium heat and take off heat when not all choco is fully melted

 let cool until stiff, roll truffles size of walnut, drop in cocoa powder (or sprinkles or nuts or ....whatever you like)


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## acutsh1 (Sep 26, 2013)

Thanks chefbuba for the links, very useful. I believe that local stores carry Ghirardelli.


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

acutsh, I frequently make a ganache for different purposes. In the picture below, I used ganache as a layer in a hazelnut cake.

I'm a home cook like you, but I learned from a good chocolatier in my country. Professionals buy buttons or pellets or "callets" from Callebaut or others but you can replace that easily with good commercial chocolate that you will find in your supermarket. It doesn't matter whether you use white, milk or dark chocolate. I use a familiar brand from my country which is Côte d'Or. You might find Lindt easier in your country which is a very nice brand, but there are others of course.

Making ganache;

- cut your chocolate in small chunks (be careful; cut, don't chop!). Weigh the amount of chocolate. Put in a metal or other heat-resistant mixing bowl

- weigh the same amount of cream as you have of chocolate

- bring the cream to a boil

- pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and stir. It will take a short while before it all comes nicely together

You can add a little butter to the cream (around 10%); your ganache will have a more shiny appearance.

You can add other flavors in tiny amounts like rum, whiskey, amaretto... In this case; less is more.





  








HazelnotenCake3.jpg




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chrisbelgium


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Sep 26, 2013


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## acutsh1 (Sep 26, 2013)

cheflayne said:


> The 5% you are seeing is probably the % of the daily nutritional value recommended, not the fat content of the product.
> 
> As to the soy lecithin as an emulsifier, I don't know how you are going to get around that.


You are probably right that i was looking at nutritional value; since the standards are are between 30 - 36%, vendors probably do not feel the need to list the fat content. All the brands I looked at contained soy lecithin as an emulsifier.

thx


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## acutsh1 (Sep 26, 2013)

Tricia775 said:


> I have noticed this problem though, trying to do pro recipes at home can be difficult because ingredients found in stores don't have this type of info: % on chocolate, etc, if you can find them in stores at all...
> 
> Anyway, my point is, ganache isn't that finicky.


Thanks. It is hard finding the recommended ingredients locally, often times i end up having to purchase from the web. Since i do not have a deep knowledge about cooking, i always try to stick to the recipe the first time and experiment later. My first attempt at making ganache, so I hope that it isn't that finicky.


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## acutsh1 (Sep 26, 2013)

I did not find any local suppliers of valrhona however i did find their US web site. what product of valrhona do you find produces the best results?


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## acutsh1 (Sep 26, 2013)

ChrisBelgium said:


> I used ganache as a layer in a hazelnut cake.
> 
> You can add other flavors in tiny amounts like rum, whiskey, amaretto... In this case; less is more.


Thanks Chris,

Interesting that you mention rum and cake, that is the reason for making the ganache. I was following a recipe, flourless rum nut chocolate cake, which uses ganache and eggs; cooked in ramekins.


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## tricia775 (Jan 8, 2013)

All of there product is veerrry good. For something like tempering and candies and other fancy stuff it's put to much better use. Ghirardelli is just as good for something like ganache. The valrhona milk and white are deeeeeeelicious, I also use their 70% it's a very good dark. A little darker then some might like but I love it.


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

acutsh1 said:


> Interesting that you mention rum and cake, that is the reason for making the ganache. I was following a recipe, flourless rum nut chocolate cake, which uses ganache and eggs; cooked in ramekins.


Sounds delicious!

I made this hazelnut cake from an Italian recipe that doesn't mention using a layer of chocolate. I live in chocolate country, so I had to make a layer of ganache. The recipe came from the book in the picture (the title says "Tastes of Italy"). I forgot to mention in my first post that you also can use any kind of cream, even full fat milk for making ganache, even fruit juices instead of cream or a combo of cream and fruit juice. Mostly used would be simply a 35-40% cream though. And, if I were you, I would not add sugar to ganache, it doesn't need it at all. Maybe the recipe for your cake asks for adding sugar to accomplish the whole recipe, but a ganache mostly has no added sugar.

Also, indeed as suggested, Valrhona is without a dought one of the best chocolates on this planet. However, many chocolatiers will use Callebaut, available in those small buttons, ready for use and also excellent quality.





  








HazelnotenCake6.jpg




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chrisbelgium


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Sep 27, 2013


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