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Chocolate Ganache
by Pam Williams
Ganache is simply a mixture of equal parts
chocolate and cream.
It is used as the base for truffles,
as a filling between cake
or cookie layers and can be softened
to make a simple chocolate mousse.
This is one of those fabulous
combinations where each of the
ingredients is enhanced by each others.
There are two basic methods:
1. the chocolate is melted,
cooled to room temperature
and the cream is beaten into it
2. the cream is brought to a boil,
removed from the heat
and the chocolate is beaten into the hot cream.
I prefer the latter,
as there is less chance of burning the chocolate.
The proportion of chocolate to cream determines
the stiffness of the resulting product.
Add more cream
and you will get a softer product.
If you need to stiffen the mixture, add more chocolate.
Luscious Chocolate Ganache
8 oz/250 g Heavy cream or whipping cream
8 oz/250 g Couverture or the best quality,
semi-sweet chocolate you can find
Place cream in a saucepan over high heat
and bring just to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat.
Meanwhile, chop chocolate into small pieces.
Place a damp towel on your counter,
place pan of hot cream on the towel
then add chopped chocolate to the cream.
Beat chocolate and cream vigorously until thoroughly mixed.
The mixture will solidify as it cools.
The time it takes to cool will vary
depending on the room temperature
and temperature of your pan.
You may place the pan in a larger pan of ice
water to cool the mixture
just until it comes to spreading consistency.
Remove from the ice bath at this
point to make sure it doesn't harden too much.
Use this mixture as a filling between cake or cookies.
A very simple but sinful dessert
-- top a brownie or pound cake square with a scoop of ganache,
then drizzle with a fruit or caramel sauce.
Chocolate mousse
12 oz/375 g Heavy cream or whipping cream
8 oz/250 g Couverture
or the best quality, semi-sweet chocolate you can find
Place cream in a saucepan over high heat and bring just to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat.
Meanwhile chop chocolate into small pieces.
Place a damp towel on your counter, place pan of hot cream on the towel
then add chopped chocolate to the cream.
Beat chocolate and cream vigorously until thoroughly mixed.
The mixture will solidify as it cools. Depending on the room temperature, temperature of your pan, etc., the time it takes to cool will vary. You may place the pan in a larger pan of ice water to cool the mixture just until it comes to spreading consistency.
Remove from the ice bath at this point
to make sure it doesn't harden too much.
Use this mixture as a filling between cake or cookies.
A very simple but sinful dessert - top a brownie or
pound cake square with a scoop of ganache
then drizzle with a fruit or caramel sauce.
For CHOCOLATE MOUSSE, increase the cream to 12 ounces (let your imagination go).
Chocolate Truffles
1/2 cup/125 ml Heavy cream or whipping cream
8 oz/250 g Semi-sweet chocolate or couverture,
chopped into small pieces
1 - 2 tablespoons Liqueur
(Grand Marnier, Kahlua, Amaretto, Frangelico) -- optional
1/2 cup/125 ml Unsweetened cocoa for decoration, piled on dinner plate and set aside
Place cream in a sauce pan over high heat,
bring just to a boil, then remove from heat.
Immediately add chopped chocolate, beating vigorously until well blended.
If chocolate mixture becomes too stiff,
place the bottom of the pan in another larger pan of hot (not boiling) water
to soften the chocolate.
Add optional flavourings, one tablespoon at a time,
until desired taste and consistency is reached.
Take a small scoop of the truffle mixture
and roll into a ball between your palms.
Drop the ball into the cocoa,
and roll until well coated.
Place on wax paper or parchment paper to cool and solidify.
Store truffles in the refrigerator
but serve at room temperature.
Tempering Real Chocolate
by Pam Williams
In this lesson we will look at the art of tempering real
chocolate in order to enrobe assorted fillings and mold
chocolate items in the following lessons.
When purchasing chocolate, you have a choice
of two different types
of chocolate products: real chocolate or confectioners coating.
Confectioners coating was developed by chocolate manufacturers
to ease the enrobing process.
The cocoa butter was removed from the chocolate and a vegetable oil,
mainly palm kernel oil, was added.
The product looks just like real chocolate
but cannot be sold as such
because it doesn't contain cocoa butter.
There were two reasons for this replacement.
Palm kernel oil is 1) cheaper than cocoa butter
which makes volume chocolates more affordable,
and 2) it allows the coating to enrobe or be molded without
tempering. You can substitute a good quality confectioners
coating for real chocolate in the recipes
in the next three lessons and skip the tempering step.
But if you want the flavour and texture of real chocolate,
please continue to read about tempering.
Cocoa butter makes up anywhere from 50-60%
of the real chocolate mass.
The cocoa butter crystals remain in suspension with the cocoa powder
or solids until the chocolate is heated.
Once you have heated the chocolate, this suspension is broken
and when the chocolate cools, the cocoa butter crystals rise to the surface
producing white streaks or a gray dusting on the surface
of the chocolate.
You've probably encountered chocolate with a dusty look.
This means the chocolate was exposed to heat
(a warm truck during shipping or a warm storage cupboard).
While it won't really effect the taste of the chocolate,
it does make for a unappetizing appearance.
Tempering returns the cocoa butter crystals to suspension
within the chocolate mass and produces
a chocolate with a dark glossy appearance
and a firm consistency. There are many processes used for tempering
but I have found the following to be most reliable.
You will need a double boiler
(I've used a metal bowl over a shallow sauce pan if
a real double boiler wasn't available),
a candy thermometer that will register
low temperatures to 28¯C/82.4°F, a rubber spatula
and at least one pound of semi-sweet,
milk or white chocolate chopped into small pieces.
Melt 2/3 of the chocolate in the double boiler over hot,
but not simmering,
water that is not touching the bottom of
the container holding the chocolate.
(Remember, the biggest enemy of real chocolate is heat,
so don't let the water get too hot.)
Melt the chocolate until it reaches a
temperature of approximately 45°C/113°F. Remove the top of the double boiler containing the chocolate
and place it on a towel on the counter.
Beat in the remaining 1/3 of chopped chocolate
letting the mixture cool to
approximately: 31°C/87.8°F for semisweet chocolate
, 29°C/84.2°F for milk chocolate,
and 28¯C/82.4°F for white chocolate.
Mixture should be smooth and glossy.
Hold at that temperature by moving
the container on and off the hot water
while you dip or mold your chocolates.
Dipping Nuts & Fruits
Once your chocolate has been tempered and is at the correct
temperature for dipping,
you can make wonderful chocolate dipped nuts and fruits.
I always recommend that you use
at least a pound of chocolate for dipping.
Anything less and you will not have enough volume
in which to dip your item.
Any leftover chocolate can be scraped
onto a piece of wax paper or parchment
and left to solidify. It can be used again for dipping
as long as it doesn't have bits of nuts and fruit in it.
The fruit you use must be dry to the touch
or the chocolate won't adhere.
My favorites are: orange or tangerine
sections with the translucent cover still on,
clusters of small grapes, any dried fruit such as apricots or apples,
candied fruit, and strawberries.
You simply dip a portion of the fruit
into the warm chocolate remembering
that less is more in this case.
Then place the fruit on a sheet of wax or parchment paper to dry.
A thin coating of chocolate will not overpower the fruit
or leave an unsightly puddle around the base.
I like to do an assortment of fruits
that are different colors to make an elegant presentation.
I recently saw Jacques Pepin, on one of the morning shows,
fill a very small paper muffin cup
about 3/8 of an inch with chocolate.
Then he placed a selection of small fruits
onto the chocolate so that they were kind of half submerged.
I think the selection included
a raspberry, strawberry, a small tangerine section and a mint leaf.
When the chocolate solidified, he removed the muffin paper.
The resulting chocolate
looked like a still life on a pool of chocolate.
Thank you Jacques for the great simple idea.
Dipping nuts is a little trickier if you want a beautiful
presentation. The easiest way to achieve nut clusters
is to dump a cup or two of nuts into the tempered chocolate,
mix them around to coat and spoon a glob
onto a wax or parchment paper to dry.
I like to take a little more time and produce
smaller clusters where the nut shapes
are visible under a thin layer of chocolate.
To accomplish this, you first need to dedicate
one pound of chocolate for nuts only.
There will always be bits of nuts
that fall into the chocolate and are too small
to retrieve, so I use any leftover chocolate for
dipping nuts the next time. I choose whole nuts that have
interesting shapes or are my favorites such as
pecans halves, cashews, macadamia nuts and walnut halves.
I drop about three or four nuts at a time onto the chocolate,
making sure to count so I can retrieve all of them.
After they have submerged in the chocolate,
I lift each one out individually
with a fork making sure
to tap the fork against the side
of the pan to make the coating as thin as possible.
I then pile the nuts in a cluster,
overlapping each one on top of each other
as they come out of the chocolate.
This gives me small clusters
of three or four nuts with the individual shapes
apparent under their thin coating of chocolate.
This is a much more elegant presentation
and your chocolate goes a lot farther.
Enjoy and have fun!
Molding with Chocolate
by Pam Williams
Chocolate molds have been around since chocolate consumption
moved from predominately drinking chocolate to predominately eating chocolate.
In order to produce eating chocolate in bite-size pieces,
the large blocks of chocolate have to be molded into smaller forms.
In the late 1800's creating fanciful chocolate molds
of metal was at its height. Small bakers and chocolatiers produced intricate shapes both flat and three dimensional.
Since that time, time-consuming and hand filled molds
have been replaced by simplistic forms that lend themselves to
volume production. The introduction of plastic molds revolutionized
both the industrial and home markets.
Now plastic molds, usually based on historical designs
first done in metal, can be produced inexpensively.
This has led to a resurgence of interest by amateur chocolatiers.
Chocolate molds can now be found in most good cookware shops
or through catalogues such as Maid of Scandinavia.
When purchasing chocolate molds,
look for strong plastic with deep intricate designs.
These will produce a much more elegant product than shallow,
less detailed molds. The molds should never be washed.
Soap scum can mare the taste of the chocolate if not thoroughly removed.
Most of the chocolate can be flaked off with a soft cloth
. Use a soft dry cloth or 100% cotton batting
(polyester leaves tiny "hairs" on the plastic)
to wipe out the cavities after each use. After the finished chocolate
is removed from the mold it leaves a light film of cocoa butter
with is then polished by the soft cloth or batting and makes the next
chocolate gleam even more. The following recipe
presents a step by step process for molding. The chocolates can be solid chocolate or filled with truffle or fondant centers.
A great project for a rainy Sunday.
Molds a la Chocolate
* Ingredients:
* 1 pound/450g Tempered chocolate of your choice
* 1/2 recipe Truffle centers or Fondant centers
* Equipment:
* Chocolate molds
(these usually come with numerous cavities on a sheet of plastic)
* Straight edge putty knife about 2- to 3-inches across
Solid chocolates:
Have the tempered chocolate ready to use.
Lightly wipe out the cavities of the molds.
Then, using a regular teaspoon, fill each cavity with chocolate.
Don't worry about making a mess, just get the cavities
filled as quickly as possible.
Tap the filled mold on the counter
to settle the chocolate and release any air bubbles. This can be accomplished by simply holding the mold horizontally and dropping it on the counter. Do this a few times until
no air bubbles appear. Don't worry if your mold is messy
and the chocolate is running over the cavities.
Using a flat edge putty knife, scrape across the mold, removing the excess chocolate from on top
of and around the cavities. This will leave a clean edge
around each cavity and clean the mold of excess chocolate at the same time.
The chocolate on the putty knife can be returned to the pot of tempered chocolate.
Leave the mold in a cool place.
The cooler the place -- the less time it will take to harden the chocolate.
If you are in a hurry to reuse the mold,
it can be placed in the refrigerator or freezer for a few moments.
You will know when the chocolates
are ready to be released by looking at the back side of the mold.
The chocolate will have pulled away from the mold
slightly and the cavity will appear grayish.
To release the chocolates,
carefully but quickly reverse the mold over a flat surface
and tap it firmly on that surface.
The chocolates should just fall out. If they
don't, let the mold cool for a few minutes
(or moments in the refrigerator or freezer ).
Filled Chocolates:
Have the tempered chocolate ready to use.
Lightly wipe out the cavities in the molds.
Then, using a regular teaspoon, fill each cavity with chocolate.
Don't worry about making a mess,
just get the cavities filled as quickly as possible.
Tap the filled mold on the counter
to settle the chocolate and release any air bubbles.
This can be accomplished by simply holding the mold horizontally and dropping it on the counter.
Do this a few times until no air bubbles appear. Don't worry if your mold is messy and the chocolate is running over the cavities.
Next, reverse the filled mold over your pot of tempered chocolate
and by tapping the tops of the cavities with your fingers,
release the melted chocolate back into the bowl. After tapping
for a few moments the cavities will be hollow with just
a thin layer of chocolate remaining.
Using a flat edge putty knife,
scrape across the mold, removing the excess chocolate from
on top of and around the cavities. This will leave a clean edge around each cavity
and clean the mold of excess
chocolate at the same time. The chocolate on the putty knife can be returned
to the pot of tempered chocolate.
Leave the mold in a cool place. The cooler the place
-- the less time it will take
to harden the chocolate.
If you are in a hurry to reuse the mold,
it can be placed in the refrigerator or freezer for a few moments.
When the chocolate shells are hardened slightly,
fill the cavities with your preferred center.
Don't worry about filling the entire cavities
as chocolate will find its way
around the filling. Also make sure that
the filling is 1/16 of an inch from the top
of the cavity leaving you room for a chocolate bottom.
Then using a regular teaspoon, again fill each
cavity with chocolate. Don't worry about making a mess,
just get the cavities filled quickly and use the scraper
as before to clean across the top of the filled cavity.
Again, cool the mold. You will know when
the chocolates are ready to be released by looking
at the back side of the mold.
The chocolate will have pulled away
from the mold slightly
and the cavity will appear grayish.
To release the chocolates, carefully but quickly reverse the mold over a flat surface and tap it firmly on that surface. The chocolates should just fall out. If they don't, let the mold cool for a few minutes (or moments in the refrigerator or freezer).
Chocolate Mousses
by Pam Williams
I think we would all agree that there is nothing as luscious as a spoonful of deep chocolate mousse. Ingredients used are more important than techniques. Use only the best chocolate you can find and you will have a fabulous chocolate mousse, whether you use a simple recipe or produce an extraordinary Tiramisu.
I have found that the supermarket brands of baking chocolate just don't contribute much to a mousse. The granular texture of the products, while fine for cookies and cakes, is emphasized in a cream concoction. The small particles seem to "grow" when combined with cream or butter, lending a gritty consistency to the final product. So please look for a better chocolate at a local chocolate shop or specialty food store.
For a very simple chocolate mousse take a basic ganache recipe , add flavoring such as a couple of tablespoons of coffee or your favorite liqueur, whip the mixture until it is light and fluffy, chill, and serve.
For the more adventurous, I have included below my favorite dark, rich mousse recipe from the venerable Julia Child. It has wowed many guests over the years. The second recipe is the for the dessert of the moment: Tiramisu. This is a wonderful coffee, mascarpone, and chocolate concoction.
Have fun and, again, use the best chocolate for the best results.
Chocolate Mougins
Julia Child, Julia Child & More Company, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1979, Page 103.
For 4.5 cups, serving 8 people
12 oz/340 gm Best quality semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 oz/45 gm Unsweetened chocolate
2 1/2 teaspoon/12 ml Plain unflavored gelatin
3 tablespoons/45 ml Dark Jamaica rum, Cognac or bourbon whiskey
3 Large eggs
2 Egg whites
1 1/2 cups/3/5 dl Heavy cream
1 1/2 tablespoons/25 ml Pure vanilla extract
Large pinch of salt
3 tablespoons/45 ml Sugar
Flavor Note: This is a very strong, rich, dark, very chocolatey mousse, on the bittersweet side. It consists only of melted chocolate that is folded into a rich custard sauce, and is lightened by beaten egg whites, yet given body with a little gelatin.
Break up the two chocolates and set in a small covered saucepan. Bring 2 inches (5 cm) of water to boil in a larger pan; remove from heat. Cover chocolate pan and set in the hot water. Chocolate will melt while you proceed with the rest of the recipe. Renew hot water if necessary; chocolate should be smoothly melted and darkly glistening.
Measure gelatin into a bowl of cup, pour on the rum or other liquid, and let soften.
Separate the eggs, dropping the whites, plus extra whites, into a beating bowl, and the yolks into a stainless-steel saucepan. Set whites aside for later. Beat the yolks for a minute with a wire whip, or until thick and sticky; then blend in the cream. Stir rather slowly over low heat with a wooden spatula or spoon, reaching all over bottom of pan, as liquid slowly heats. (Watch it carefully, and do not let it come to the simmer.) Bubbles will begin to appear on the surface, and in a few minutes the bubbles will start to subside. Then watch for a whiff of steam rising -- this indicates that the sauce is thickening. Continue for a few seconds until the sauce clings in a light layer to the back of your spatula or spoon. Immediately remove from heat, and stir for a minute or so to stop cooking.
At once stir the softened gelatin mixture into the hot custard, stirring until the gelatin has dissolved completely. Stir in the vanilla, then the melted chocolate.
Set the egg white beating bowl over the hot water that melted the chocolate, and stir for a moment to take off the chill (egg whites mount faster and more voluminously when slightly warmed). Beat at slow speed until they are foamy, beat in the salt, and then gradually increase speed to fast until egg whites form soft peaks. Sprinkle in the sugar, and beat until egg whites form stiff shining peaks. Fold them into the chocolate, then return the whole mixture to the egg white bowl, cover and chill. Turn the mousse into an attractive dish or individual pots, and serve with bowls of chocolate sauce and whipped cream.
Tiramisu
6 oz/200 gm Mascarpone cheese
3 tablespoons/45 ml Cocoa powder
2 tablespoons/30 ml Icing or Confectioners Sugar
5 tablespoons/75 ml Kahlua, any coffee flavored liqueur or very strong coffee
1 teaspoon/5 ml Pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup/125 ml Whipping cream
12 Lady Fingers
Beat the cheese, cocoa powder, icing sugar, 3 tablespoons of the Kahlua, 1/2 teaspoons of the vanilla extract in a large bowl with a wire whisk until well blended.
In another bowl whip the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the cheese mixture.
Combine the remaining Kahlua and vanilla in a small bowl.
Cut the lady fingers in half length-wise. Using either a 1 quart glass dessert bowl or 6 individual glass bowls, place one layer of lady fingers on the bottom. Brush with some of the Kahlua/vanilla mixture. Spoon 1/3 of the cheese mixture on top of the lady finger layer. Repeat two more times until there are three layers of both lady fingers and cheese mixture. If there are lady fingers left, use them to decorate the top of the dessert, drizzling any left over Kahlua/vanilla mixture over the fingers.
Dust the top lightly with cocoa powder and serve with sweetened whipped cream if desired.
serves 6
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