What’s ganache?

Ganache是​​通过结合巧克力和浓奶油制成的天鹅绒般的乳液。冷藏时，其一致性可能是坚定而几乎耐嚼的。温暖时，它会流动。根据巧克力与奶油的比率，Ganache可以具有广泛的质地，使其充当丰富的中心松露， 一个cake filling或装饰，a pastry glaze， 一个whipped mousse，，，，or a巧克力酱。(Discover the many ways you can use ganache in our recipe collection:当巧克力遇到奶油时）

这一切都与该比率有关

The ratio of chocolate to cream determines the consistency of ganache. At a ratio of two parts chocolate to one part cream, ganache cools to a firm and smooth texture, perfect for rolling into chocolate truffles. Change the ratio to equal parts chocolate and cream, and you’ll have medium-consistency ganache, just right for glazing and filling cakes and pastries. At one part chocolate, two parts cream, you’ll have liquidy or soft ganache, which can be whipped into a mousselike consistency. For the greatest precision, measure the chocolate and cream by weight rather than volume.

A good blend

Ganache是​​一种脂肪中的乳液。Technically, fat and water don’t mix, but when emulsified, tiny droplets of cocoa butter from the chocolate and droplets of butterfat from the cream become dispersed and suspended in a syrup consisting mostly of water from the cream as well as melted sugar from the chocolate. The emulsified chocolate and cream remain blended, creamy, and smooth. Cream itself is also a fat-in-water emulsion, consisting of butterfat globules suspended in water. Casein, a group of proteins in milk, acts as an emulsifier in cream, helping to keep the fat and water from separating. In ganache, casein also helps to keep the chocolate and cream emulsion smooth and creamy.

Chocolate, meet cream

To make a uniformly smooth and creamy ganache, always add chopped or melted chocolate to warm cream, rather than the other way around. Stir with a rubber spatula for a bubble-free result that’s perfect for truffles and cake glazes. Or let it cool and set, then use a whisk to whip air into the ganache and make it fluffier and thicker for cake fillings and frostings.

Many classic ganache recipes call for adding hot cream to a bowl of chopped chocolate and stirring until smooth. However, this mixing method can cause the ganache to separate, giving you tiny specks of chocolate within the ganache. If you do add hot cream to chopped chocolate, it’s essential to let it stand undisturbed for a minute or so to give the chocolate a chance to melt before gently stirring. This will help to prevent tiny specks of chocolate from appearing in the finished ganache.

Mind the temperature

Chocolate is sensitive to temperature changes. The cocoa butter in chocolate melts at a relatively low temperature range of 87°F to 91°F, just below body temperature. Melted cocoa butter solidifies again around 68°F. Notice that the difference between solid and melted chocolate can be as little as 20°F. For this reason, it’s best to melt chocolate gently and gradually with low and slow heat. To melt it evenly and smoothly, chop the chocolate into small, uniform pieces about 1/2 inch square.

Ganache具有温暖的液体奶油的额外优势，可帮助将巧克力融化在融化时均匀。只需将切碎的巧克力搅拌成温暖的奶油，直到将它们融合成光滑的奶油乳液中。将切碎的巧克力混合成热奶油并将其搅拌直至光滑后，流体混合物可能仍然很热。由于巧克力的温度敏感性，也最好让液体甘纳奇（Fluid Ganache）轻轻地固定并逐渐固定（即在室温下，而不是在冰箱中）。在冷却时，可可粉晶体开始形成，而甘纳奇开始设置。如果您过快地冷却甘纳奇，可可黄油就不会形成那么多的晶体。当快速返回室温时，冷却的甘纳克可能会产生油腻的外观。为了确保光滑，乳脂状的甘纳奇（Ganache），逐渐冷却。

Why the cocoa percentage matters

巧克力酒、巧克力的关键组成部分a mixture of cocoa solids and cocoa butter. When you’re making ganache, the higher the percentage of chocolate liquor in the chocolate, the richer and more chocolatey the finished flavor will be. Chocolate around 70 percent, usually called bittersweet or dark, is ideal. Above 75 percent, the cocoa solids can absorb so much liquid from the cream that there is not enough left to keep all the solids and cocoa butter suspended in emulsion, making the ganache prone to breaking and becoming greasy.

至于可可黄油，黑巧克力和白巧克力都包含大约相同的百分比，约为20％。但是白巧克力没有可可固体（只有牛奶固体），因此，当白巧克力融化时，吸收液化的可可脂的固体较少，如果过热或加热得太快或加热，则可以使白巧克力甘纳斯特别容易油腻。

如何修复破碎的Ganache

如果您的Ganache看起来颗粒状且凝结，则乳液破裂了。脂肪与水状液体分开，通常是因为没有足够的液体将悬浮在混合物中的巧克力固体量。要修复破碎的甘纳奇，请在热水浴中加热混合物，同时猛烈地搅拌。如果那不起作用，请用少量的室温牛奶甚至利口酒大力搅拌。不要使用奶油来恢复您的Ganache，因为混合物已经含有太多脂肪以至于无法融合在一起。