Chocolate Ganache

One of my favorite things to work with is ganache. It's chocolately, smooth, and so pretty. What's not to love?

Ganache is also pretty easy to make, with only two main ingredients. You've got a filling, coating, or a luscious fondue dip. My favorite? The coating. If you mess up, you just pour on another layer, or add a strategically placed decorations. No worries.

Wanna learn? Here we go...

Chocolate Ganache

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup whipping cream

• Using a good quality saucepan, heat up the cream on medium heat. Keep on eye on it and stir it regularly, scrapping the bottom. Don't want to scorch it.
• Once you have you have a good simmer going, add the chocolate chips and remove from heat. Let sit for 5 minutes.
• Using a whisk, mix until smooth.

Now, you've got a few options at this point.

If you're going for a filling, like truffles or between layers of cake, let the mixture cool before popping it into the fridge until it's solid, then beat it in a stand mixture. A hand mixer might not be up to the task. Make sure you keep it cool. If it starts to get too soft while you're working with it, just tuck it back into the refrigerator.

For a coating, you might want to add a tablespoon of corn syrup. It gives it a nice shiny finish and the spreading goes a little smoother. You're gonna wanna keep it warm but not necessarily on the stove. That will cause it to separate and get yucky. Place your crumb-coated cake on a wire rack with a clean pan underneath to catch the drips. Pool the ganache on top and let it spread out over the edge, using a spatula to guide it where it needs to go. Once it's covered, shake the rack a little to help smooth out the drips. Let the layer set up and then go for another coat, if you like.

Fondue is a lovely treat, also. For a simple dessert, slice up some apples, pound cake, and anything else you like dipped in chocolate (which for me is just about everything...except bananas). You can pour the chocolate into a fondue pot and keep it warm, but just turn the heat a little low.

Need more ganache? Double the recipe! Just keep the chocolate and cream in equal parts.

Enjoy!