Chocolate Creams

Ganache (pronounced gah nahsh) is a rich chocolate cream filling with many uses. When freshly made and still warm, it can be used as a glaze or icing for cakes, much like fondant; pour it over the product to be iced and it will set into a soft icing. When cooled, ganache is used to make chocolate truffles or a filling for other candies. It can also be whipped to make a filling for cakes, tortes, and meringue pastries.

In its simplest form, ganache is a mixture of heavy cream and melted chocolate couverture. Butter can also be included, as illustrated in the second recipe in this section. The quality of a simple ganache depends primarily on the quality of the chocolate. More complex formulas for ganache include eggs and a variety of flavoring ingredients. You might like to experiment with the recipe for Passion Fruit Ganache, substituting other fruit purées and flavoring ingredients for the passion fruit.