Flavored Ganaches (Fruit, herb, spice, etc)

[sote23]

Thanks Luis and Ilana.  I'm going to try some wine ganache today and was planning to add some of my dark milk (41%).  I'm going to follow pretty closely to Wybauw's recipe in Fine Chocolate 2 pg. 79 without the spices and adding 200g. dark chocolate instead of the cocoa butter as I want to slab.  I'm going to try it with reduced and non-reduced Merlot.  I'll also try a dark only recipe - again with reduced and non-reduced.  I made sure to get a fruity Merlot low in tannins.  I believe it's the tannins that fight with the chocolate.  The wine reduction itself still tastes good although stronger.  I kept it below 180F while reducing.

Luis, I also contacted XOX truffles as I didn't see the wine truffle on their website.  Was it dark, milk or white?  I've heard good things about those guys.  I think I'll order some to try...

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It's been awhile since I tried it. I believe it was dark, but I could be wrong.

Let us know how it turns out.

Luis

Edited March 9, 2009 by sote23 (log)

[sote23]

my pleasure:

post one

and wine jelly:

post two

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thanks Lior

[confiseur]

Does any one have a wine ganache recipe they would be willing to share/recommend...

I presume red would work better but a white wine ganache would also be interesting...

Any help here would be much appreciated!

[paulraphael]

Recent topic.

[Darienne]

It seems that no one has ever posted about making a ganache using a mojito flavoring. And I can find nothing in the major chocolate sources like Greweling, Recchuiti and Shotts. Plus I don't own Wybauw.

I have this current obsession with mojito and wonder if someone does have an idea of how to use it in a ganache.

On the other hand, perhaps there are no mojito ganache recipe for a good reason.

Thanks.

[mkayahara]

It seems that no one has ever posted about making a ganache using a mojito flavoring.  And I can find nothing in the major chocolate sources like Greweling, Recchuiti and Shotts.  Plus I don't own Wybauw.

I have this current obsession with mojito and wonder if someone does have an idea of how to use it in a ganache.

On the other hand, perhaps there are no mojito ganache recipe for a good reason. 

Thanks.

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What about tweaking the Dark and Stormies from Greweling? Replace the dark rum with light, and the ginger with mint (and keep the lime) and you're basically there.

[Darienne]

What about tweaking the Dark and Stormies from Greweling? Replace the dark rum with light, and the ginger with mint (and keep the lime) and you're basically there.

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Brilliant! Will do it! Thanks.

ps. It just occurred to me that I could take the flavoring from David Lebovitz' Orange-Szechwan Pepper Ice Cream and put that into a ganache. I am just about to perform the last step in making that ice cream and was just wowed! by the flavor.

Edited June 13, 2009 by Darienne (log)

[prairiegirl]

I love developing recipes with unusual flavours. Every so often I will do something unique. From a business perspective I make bonbons that will appeal to the masses. If I have a flavour that is an acquired taste it will sit for a long time before it finds a palate to reside in!! I typically make what will sell. I am most thrilled when I can do bizarre flavour combos!

[Darienne]

I love developing recipes with unusual flavours.  Every so often I will do something unique. From a business perspective I make  bonbons that will appeal to the masses. If I have a flavour that is an acquired taste it will sit for a long time before it finds a palate to reside in!!  I typically make what will sell.  I am most thrilled when I can do bizarre flavour combos!

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Ah...c'mon...tell us one... but nothing with bacon in it, please.

[Kerry Beal]

My most unusual was the South Indian spices that are contained in Suvir's tomato chutney.

[Darienne]

What about tweaking the Dark and Stormies from Greweling? Replace the dark rum with light, and the ginger with mint (and keep the lime) and you're basically there.

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I just realized I am confused a tad by your answer. You say '(and keep the lime)' in the Dark & Stormies. There is no lime in Greweling's recipe. Do mean to add lime while substituting the mint and lighter rum or to leave the lime out?

I don't have any white chocolate. I hardly ever use it at all so I am going to use 54% dark I guess and see what happens.

Please let me know your idea about the lime juice. Thanks.

[Kerry Beal]

What about tweaking the Dark and Stormies from Greweling? Replace the dark rum with light, and the ginger with mint (and keep the lime) and you're basically there.

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I just realized I am confused a tad by your answer. You say '(and keep the lime)' in the Dark & Stormies. There is no lime in Greweling's recipe. Do mean to add lime while substituting the mint and lighter rum or to leave the lime out?

I don't have any white chocolate. I hardly ever use it at all so I am going to use 54% dark I guess and see what happens.

Please let me know your idea about the lime juice. Thanks.

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If you are going to use dark chocolate - I'd pick one of the Greweling recipes that start with dark chocolate to change. The ratios will be all wrong if you simply sub dark for white in the dark and stormie recipe.

I've taken the Dark and Stormie and adapted it to be my 'Thai one on' recipe as well as a 'mule kick' and my 'campari and grapefruit'.

[Tri2Cook]

It sounds like a cool idea but I'm having a hard time picturing how you're going to end up at a flavor even remotely similar to a mojito using dark chocolate. I'm wondering if combining white chocolate and cocoa butter would tone down the chocolate enough to keep it in the background. I've experimented with cocoa butter based ganaches (no chocolate at all) to see if I could get a more pure flavor with good results (I keep meaning to get back to that) but it's a bit cost prohibitive for anything large scale.

[Darienne]

Hmmmm....alright. I'll wait until I can buy some white chocolate to do the mojito ganache. And thanks so much for all the good information.

There are other things I can do in the interim...

[Tri2Cook]

I wasn't trying to discourage you from trying, I was just trying to taste it in my head and was having a hard time with it.

[Darienne]

I wasn't trying to discourage you from trying, I was just trying to taste it in my head and was having a hard time with it.

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No worries. I have never had anything 'mojito' except by my own hand and so have no sense of what exactly it should taste like. The information on the subject of the mojito on the web is so varied...wildly...that I decided to go at it more conservatively first. David Lebovitz has a mojito flavored ice. Maybe I'll try that next instead.

Thanks. I'll get back to the mojito flavored ganache later.

[tammylc]

I've had a mojito chocolate done in dark chocolate before, and it was fine. I don't think white chocolate is really all that more neutral, IMO. Key flavors for a mojito are mint, lime, and rum. If I were doing it, I'd do a cream ganache, infuse the cream with mint and lime zest, then add some rum and probably a drop of lime oil. The best you're ever going to get in a ganache filling is an homage to the flavor of a mojito.

One of my favorite flavors I've ever made was something I through together at the eG Heartland Gathering event in Cleveland, which was a dark chocolate ganache infused with thai basil and thai chiles. I think thai basil and chocolate are a pairing made in heaven. Last year I did a double layer piece with a layer of cherry preserves and then a thai basil ganache on top of that. Also a hit.

[tammylc]

I love developing recipes with unusual flavours.  Every so often I will do something unique. From a business perspective I make  bonbons that will appeal to the masses. If I have a flavour that is an acquired taste it will sit for a long time before it finds a palate to reside in!!  I typically make what will sell.  I am most thrilled when I can do bizarre flavour combos!

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Ah...c'mon...tell us one... but nothing with bacon in it, please.

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I make a milk chocolate bark with applewood smoked bacon and smoked almonds in it, and it's always a huge hit. So don't diss the bacon!

[Darienne]

hocolate bark with applewood smoked bacon and smoked almonds in it, and it's always a huge hit. So don't diss the bacon!

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You're right. I've never tried bacon in chocolate. I might just love it. I had never tried pepper in ice cream either and that was delicious.

Thank you all for so many interesting answers. There stretches out before me a long list of things to try. This has truly been a wonderful year, culinarily speaking.

[mrose]

hocolate bark with applewood smoked bacon and smoked almonds in it, and it's always a huge hit. So don't diss the bacon!

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You're right. I've never tried bacon in chocolate. I might just love it. I had never tried pepper in ice cream either and that was delicious.

Thank you all for so many interesting answers. There stretches out before me a long list of things to try. This has truly been a wonderful year, culinarily speaking.

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Schott's book has a recipe for lime -pastis truffles. You could substitute mojito rum for the pastise. Also infuse the cream with mint.

[Truffle Guy]

It seems that no one has ever posted about making a ganache using a mojito flavoring.  And I can find nothing in the major chocolate sources like Greweling, Recchuiti and Shotts.  Plus I don't own Wybauw.

I have this current obsession with mojito and wonder if someone does have an idea of how to use it in a ganache.

On the other hand, perhaps there are no mojito ganache recipe for a good reason. 

Thanks.

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I've wanted to do a mojito too and I think the best way to do it with so many flavors is 2 layers. I'd probably try a milk chocolate ganache infused with lime and a layer of white chocolate with the mint and rum. The milk chocolate will keep the lime from being too sweet and I think the white chocolate with mint will help bring out the mint flavor. It would be good to put some sugar on it as well as I love the sugar in a mojito. I'd love to hear how whatever you do comes out.

[Tri2Cook]

I've had a mojito chocolate done in dark chocolate before, and it was fine. I don't think white chocolate is really all that more neutral,

I agree white chocolate isn't particularly neutral, I just find it a little easier to push in the background. Especially if I tone it down with some cocoa butter.

My most unusual ganache so far was 70% with smoked tomato puree and lemon thyme infused cream.

[Darienne]

Last night I made the most delicious ganache using as a basis Michael Recchuiti's 'Force Noire' from his Chocolate Obsession and with the flavorings from David Lebovitz's 'Orange-Szechwan Pepper Ice Cream' from The Perfect Scoop.

I don't have a very good knowledge yet of ganache bases and I knew that the 'Force Noire' is easily slabbed and cut and dipped for me. I prefer to slab and cut the ganache, rather than to roll it into balls at this point. Just don't have good hand dexterity any more.

Add the mixture of orange and pepper to my obsessions.

[lapin d'or]

Last night I made the most delicious ganache using as a basis Michael Recchuiti's 'Force Noire' from his Chocolate Obsession and with the flavorings from David Lebovitz's 'Orange-Szechwan Pepper Ice Cream' from The Perfect Scoop.

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I am so pleased you have tried and liked this. As soon as I read your post about the orange szechwan ice-cream I started thinking about doing these flavours in a ganache and wondering wehther to go white chocolate or dark. I have the Recchuiti book so I will try and work with the recipe you mentioned.

How much pepper did you use in the ganache?

many thanks

Lapin

[Darienne]

Last night I made the most delicious ganache using as a basis Michael Recchuiti's 'Force Noire' from his Chocolate Obsession and with the flavorings from David Lebovitz's 'Orange-Szechwan Pepper Ice Cream' from The Perfect Scoop.

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I am so pleased you have tried and liked this. As soon as I read your post about the orange szechwan ice-cream I started thinking about doing these flavours in a ganache and wondering wehther to go white chocolate or dark. I have the Recchuiti book so I will try and work with the recipe you mentioned.

How much pepper did you use in the ganache?

many thanks

Lapin

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For 12 oz of dark chocolate...54%...it's all I have at this point...I used 1 tablespoon of pepper corns and then ground them. I could have used more I think. Next time...