Thursday, February 6, 2014

How to Make Ganache in Honor of MURDER WITH GANACHE

 
LUCY BURDETTE: You tell me, could I celebrate the release of MURDER WITH GANACHE, my fourth Key West mystery, without making ganache? I didn't think so.  

But for today's post, I wanted to concentrate on the ganache itself, rather than getting all wrapped up in what was lying underneath it. 
  
So for this event, I baked my grandmother's one-bowl chocolate cake, which is delicious on its own. And then I made the ganache topping and drizzled, dripped, dribbled rivulets of molten chocolate over the top and down the sides.

You could do many things with this ganache, including something as simple as pouring it over ice cream. It's only got two ingredients--chocolate and cream--so the trick is using the good stuff.

Ingredients

8 oz good quality bittersweet chocolate
8 oz good quality whipping cream










Crush the chocolate into small pieces. (Larger ones won't melt, resulting in a lumpy product.)

 













Meanwhile, empty the cream into a pan and heat until it's just boiling. Watch this closely so it doesn't burn or bubble out of the pan.

Remove the pan from the stove and pour the hot cream over the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl.


With a wire whisk, whisk the cream and the chocolate...












Until it's smooth and shiny.













That's ganache!  










It may seem thin at this point, but it will thicken as it cools. If you want to hurry this along, put the bowl in the refrigerator.

 However, this can result in hardening. But don't panic! Just reheat the bowl of chocolate over a pan of simmering water and whisk again.


 When the chocolate is at the right consistency, drizzle it over your cake or ice cream--and watch the chocoholics in your life swoon! And that's what we call MURDER WITH GANACHE:)
 











 

Lucy Burdette is the author of the Key West food critic mysteries. MURDER WITH GANACHE is in bookstores now!

Independent bookstores

Barnes and Noble

Amazon

Follow Lucy on Facebook, or Twitter, or Pinterest! She loves it when you pin her stuff:)

9 comments:

  1. Sweet congratulations on the release of MURDER WITH GANACHE. Great chocolate and rich cream equals the perfect recipe for your celebration, and for Valentine's Day, too. Thank you, Lucy.

    ~ Cleo

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  2. thanks so much Cleo! It all comes together, doesn't it:). xo

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  3. Oh, be still my heart (and taste buds)! Cream and dark chocolate--What more could we ask?
    I know! A great book to read while indulging.
    Thanks for providing both.

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  4. Lovely, gorgeous, yum! So easy and so elegant. I also love one-bowl cakes. I've got one that I add pudding to. Perfect!

    Happy release week!

    Daryl / Avery

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  5. Mmmmm. Looks wonderful and it is perfect for so many occasions. I'll have to make this soon. Maybe for Valentine's Day, I'll be loved!

    Congrats on the new book, Roberta/Lucy!

    XOX

    MJ

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  6. Don't you love it when the ganache turns shiny? There's something so rich and indulgent about it. Yum!

    ~Krista

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