# Can you substitute?



## chef_matt (Mar 18, 2008)

Can you substitute another liquid (heavy cream) in a ganache for truffles? I have some friends that cant have dairy. Is there any ideas or has any body tried? 

Thanks,

Matt


----------



## ed buchanan (May 29, 2006)

Although have not tried it in a ganache ,I have substituted non dairy creamer in other preps. . I would use one of the flavored ones rather then the plain since they are thicker. A drop of gelatin may also be added to thicken it up.


----------



## dscheidt (Feb 27, 2008)

Ganache is a fat in water emulsion. Cream (and butter, in some recipes) provide the water, and butterfat (36% in US heavy cream). It's entirely possible to make a ganache using other liquids. Just water and chocoalte will make a ganache, if you get the proportions right (which is just a bit of math, so it's easy enough), but it won't have the same mouth feel and texture that cream ganache does. Adding some fat, in the form of oil, will improve things (and give you an interesting flavor source, too, if you're using something like nut oil with a strong flavor). Better is cocoa butter, which has less flavor, but more suitable melitng point. If you're willing to do shell molding, I'd also consider coconut oil, which when mixed with cocoa butter (from the chocolate, you don't need to add any) will have a eutectic effect, meaning the melting point is lower than you'd expect, which will let you make a sort of meltaway truffle. You can use flavored water (tea, infused with herbs, maybe even coffee (haven't tried that)).


----------



## chef_matt (Mar 18, 2008)

I was curious on using this cause I do have some people ask me when I do holiday truffles they are lactose intolerant. I havent tried the water idea, but it could work. I contacted my sales rep from Guittard so I do have a supply of chocolate if i need some more. Thanks dscheidt 
I am going to try an experiment probably next week using soy milk with water. Coconut oil mmm that might give a good mouth feel what about coconut milk? I wonder if that has enough fat content. I will try both and see what taste better. Thanks again I will post what I find out.

Matt


----------



## tralfaz (Mar 4, 2007)

I just made a batch of vegan (!?!) ganache subbing 2 1/4 c reduced cream with 10 oz coconut oil, 4 fl oz dark cherry juice conc. and 4 fl oz water. The cherry flavor is a little strong for my taste, but quite good. Like dscheidt said, it's great on the tongue like a meltaway truffle. Coconut milk sounds interesting, def. a strong coconut flavor though. Tell us what the soymilk is like. That sounds too scary for me.


----------

