My Aunt Joan gave me a recipe for ganache when I was newly married and I had no clue what it was but I love anything chocolate and this recipe quickly became one of my favourites.
Ganache is really versatile. Here are a few of my favourite past uses for it...
{back when I had a cake business}
Dripping down the sides of a cake...
Dripping and piped along the bottom.
More drips, and piping, and lettering!
I know you already saw the dripping effect but this was is too cute not to safe, right?
I used ganache to create a muddy track for this dirt biker:)
Layered in an ice cream cookie cake.
I think you get the idea.
Here's the recipe...
AUNT JOAN'S GANACHE
Ingredients:
-1 bag of chocolate chips (about 2 cups) OR 2 cups of chopped chocolate...use what ya got:)
-1 cup heavy cream (I use unpasturized Jerseyland cream)
Steps:
-Place the chocolate in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
-In a small saucepan ( I use a double boiler just to be safe cause burnt milk is not a good scene), bring the cream to a boil.
-Pour the cream over the chocolate, let it sit for 2 or 3 minutes, then blend until smooth and shiny. ( I usually use a whisk but an electric mixer is a good idea, I'm just lazy:)
-let cool slightly before using.
**if you are wanting the dripping look, you do want the ganache to be relatively warm so it drizzles but not hot enough to melt your icing.
**if you are wanting to pipe ganache onto a cake, you'll need it a little cool so that it keeps it's shape.
**ganache can be made ahead and stored covered in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.