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Place the chopped chocolate in a large heatproof mixing bowl and set aside.
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2
Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it is just about to boil.
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Pour it evenly over the chopped chocolate and let the chocolate begin to melt.
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4
Let it sit for 2 minutes.
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(It is important to let it sit, because if you begin stirring right away, the air you incorporate will cool the chocolate faster, making it harder for the chocolate to melt smoothly.)
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6
Mix the cream and chocolate together with a rubber spatula or a whisk, working out any lumps of chocolate so that they are fully melted.
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Add the butter and vanilla and continue to stir.
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8
If the chocolate or butter stops melting before all the lumps have dispersed, place the bowl over a pan with simmering water and continue to stir constantly until it is fully melted.
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9
Set the ganache aside and let it cool before using.
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10
The ganache should be about the consistency of smooth peanut butter when its ready to ice a cake.
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11
For cakes: Cool the ganache almost to room temperature.
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Place the cake on a wire rack set over parchment or waxed paper (to catch any ganache that may drip), and ice the cake as you would with traditional icing (see Icing a Cake, page 14).
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13
If the ganache sets before you finish icing the cake, reheat it over a double boiler, then bring it down to room temperature again to finish the cake.
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14
For cupcakes: Cool the ganache to room temperature and fill a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.
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Ice the cupcakes as you would with traditional icing (see Filling a Pastry Bag and Piping, page 11).
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If the ganache stiffens, warm it between the palms of your hands or place it near a heated oven until it becomes pliant again.
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For cookies: The ganache can be used when its still warm, as long as its firm enough not to drip off the edges of the cookies.
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Fill a pastry bag and cut a small hole (no tip necessary), then pipe about 1 teaspoon onto each cookie (see Sandwich Cookies, page 58).
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For truffles: While it is still warm, pour the ganache into a prepared 8-inch square baking pan as directed in the recipe for Double Chocolate Truffles (page 172).
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20
For ice cream: Spoon warm ganache over your favorite ice cream and serve immediately.
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21
The ganache can be kept in a heatproof airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 8 weeks.
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22
To reheat, place the container in a pan of simmering water, so that the water comes about halfway to three-quarters of the way up the sides of the container.
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Heat it until the sides have melted, then transfer it to a bowl and melt it fully over a double boiler.
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24
The main pitfall in preparing ganache is its tendency to break, whereby the cocoa butter fats pull away from the rest of the mixture and refuse to emulsify.
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25
A broken ganache will result in congealed fat separated from the chocolate when it sets, a problem that is both unattractive and unpalatable.
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26
Breaking is more common with milk or white chocolate ganaches, which have a much higher percentage of cocoa butter content than dark chocolates.
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27
The easiest way to fix a broken ganache is to take half your ganache and reheat it over a double boiler until it is liquefied.
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28
Take the other half and put it in the refrigerator, so that the separated fat solidifies.
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Then mix the two halves together, stirring vigorously.
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30
The warm ganache will remelt the fat in the cooler ganache, and the stirring action should help it emulsify with the cream and chocolate.
