# El rey chocoalte



## cocojo (Feb 22, 2007)

Has anyone found El Rey chocolate to be sensitive to work with? I am about pulling my hair out trying to make ganache with it.

This is what I'm doing:

Melt 6 oz 61percent couverture chocolate and 4 Tbsp unsalted butter on high in micro 3x at 20sec intervals, stirring in between. Chocolate is 3/4 melted

Boil 1/4 cup heavy cream and reduce to 2 Tbsp

Pour cream onto chocolate and let sit 2 min.

Add 1/4 tsp vanilla and pulse in food processor 3x.

Pour it into silicone tray and either leave out or refridgerate.


Ganache turns out lovely and then 1 day later turns somewhat grainy.

When I talked to El Rey they said discs may have lost their temper.
I didn't think I needed tempered chocolate for ganache?

Any ideas on what's going wrong? 

Thanks


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## thedessertdiva (Feb 13, 2007)

Hi! I use El Rey all the time, no troubles.
However you may want to process your Ganache differently.
I would suggest: Place Chocolate in bowl, heat cream to boiling, remove from heat, add butter and stir, pour over Chocolate allow to sit 30-45 seconds then carefully stir with spatula until smooth, add Vanilla, Enjoy!!!:bounce:

I hope this helps!!
Joan
thedessertdiva


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## chefpeon (Jun 14, 2006)

Making ganache in a food processor is asking for trouble. If you overbeat ganache, it turns it grainy, and a food processor is just far too powerful for making ganache. Not only that, it's completely unnecessary. 

Like Diva said, just pour hot cream over the chocolate, let it stand a couple mins and whisk. That's all you need to do.

:roll:


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## cocojo (Feb 22, 2007)

Thanks guys! I have tried many methods. I think what's happening is I'm trying to increase the shelf life of the truffle by boiling the cream down. When I do this, there is not enough liquid to melt the chocolate. Maybe I should just give up the idea of reducing the cream and try just bringing the 1/4 cup cream to a boil ...what do you think?
The food processor idea was from Alton Brown on Food Network..it seemed odd but he said to pulse 3x quickly and the speed wouldn't harm to ganache. It didn't work for me, but then nothing seems to with this small amount of cream.
I'll go to the kitchen and try what you all have suggested but my fear is that there won't be enough cream to melt the chocolate.
I'll check in later. 
Thanks again


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## aguynamedrobert (Oct 26, 2006)

I heard it said here to use a spatula when making a ganache...I have seen this way used as well but the idea of using Wisk, food processor, or a immersion blender is to cream an EMULSION. You have to create that emulsion between the fat and water in the recipe so that it won't seperate...I know some people do it with the spatula but I would recommend doing it with a wisk...

Just my two cents...

Robert
www.chocolateguild.com


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## m brown (May 29, 1999)

the best chocolate i have worked with.

nuff said.

ganach 1:1 cream to chocolate or 2:1 chocolate to cream.

no butter. 

I can't even wrap my head around why you would add butter to a 61% el rey

the less you add, the better the chocolate will sing.

and that's all i have to say about that.


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## m brown (May 29, 1999)

don't over mix your ganach, they get tough and grainy.


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## cocojo (Feb 22, 2007)

Thanks everyone....this is great having people to run things by instead of just endlessly experimenting in my kitchen.
Chef Brown....I did try the right ratios and no butter and you are right...the chocolate sings.
So...I guess I can't hope for longer shelf life than 2-3 weeks using this ratio?
Is that at room temp or do they have to be in a cooled display case?


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