Ganache
Confection
Top 10 pairings
Ganache is a smooth emulsion of chocolate and hot cream — nothing more, at its simplest — that sets into a rich, spreadable or sliceable mass as it cools. It is the universal building block of the chocolatier's craft: warm and fluid it is a pourable glaze, at room temperature it is a pipeable filling for truffles, bonbons and tarts, and whipped it lightens into a mousse-like frosting.
Picking a good onedrag
Glossy, silky, smelling of cocoa and creamSour, rancid, fizzing
Dulled, soft or bloomedStill perfectBring it back to room temperature to spread, whip it into a frosting, or warm it to a pour. A loose set wants a cooler room or more chocolate.
Look at the surfaceMatt and dull from the cold, or a thin dry skin on top
Press a little with a spoonSoft and slumping, or stiff from the fridge - ratio and cold
Smell it closeQuieter cocoa, or the smell of whatever shared its shelf
The shell, the box, the tubGrey-white streaks or a gritty dull film on the chocolate