Heidi's Best Recipe

The Best Chocolate Ganache Ever!

1 pint heavy cream
2 sticks unsalted butter
20 oz. good quality chopped semi-sweet chocolate (you can use chocolate chips, but the best results are with dark chocolate bars like Lindt or Ghirardelli!)
1/3 cup espresso or strong coffee (coffee brings out the flavor in chocolate, but if you wish, you can omit it completely, or substitute a different flavoring, like Grand Marnier or some other liqueur.)

Heat the cream and the butter in a saucepan over medium heat until it just starts to come to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the coffee. Add the chocolate and allow it to sit until the chocolate softens. Use a whisk to gently incorporate into a thick chocolate sauce.

You can leave it like this, or if you want a finer texture, strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve into another container. (This is good for when you want to use it as frosting.)

This is an incredibly versatile recipe. You can use this for all kinds of things.

When it is still warm, you can:

1. Use it as a sauce for ice cream
2. Pour it over cakes/cupcakes as a glaze
3. Dip cookies in it and let them set up
4. Keep it warm and use it for chocolate fondue (yummy!)

If you allow it to sit at room temperature until it is the consistency of warm butter:

• Use it as a filling between cakes or as a frosting.
• Whip it in a mixer to make a lighter frosting.
• Use a pastry bag and a star tip to pipe rosettes (or anything else) onto parchment and refrigerate for little chocolate accents.
• Bring the ganache to cool room temperature and scoop out balls with a melon baller into cocoa powder or chopped nuts, refrigerate, and you have yummy truffles.

You can store leftover ganache for about two weeks in the refrigerator if it is tightly covered. Do not freeze. You can, however, successfully freeze and thaw items that have been frosted/glazed with ganache. Freeze without wrapping until good and hard, then double wrap item with plastic. When you want to use it allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight without unwrapping (the condensation should cling to the plastic.) Unwrap and serve as is or bring to room temperature. (I think ganache is best at room temperature, but that's just me.)

Have fun with it!