Jelly/Ganache Combinations

[Kerry Beal]

Patris and I were playing with pates de fruit last week and I brought along a couple of the layered chocolates that I had made.

I made a pear pate de fruit layer, and then for the ganache I made a clove in dark chocolate. I also used a layer of the pear pate de fruit with Greweling's dark and stormy, which is white chocolate with ginger and dark rum. I was a little disappointed in the combinations, I didn't think the pear was strong enough to stand up to the dark chocolate that I dipped them in.

That got us thinking about what would make good combinations of fruit jellies with flavoured ganaches. Patty came up with some nice combinations - cherry/almond, cherry/vanilla, apple/cinnamon/caramel and orange/cream (a classic creamsicle).

The pates de fruit I like best are blackcurrent, raspberry, passion fruit and kalamansi.

I'd love to hear peoples ideas of what combinations of jelly with ganache they think would work well, allowing for the chocolate component.

[Tiny]

I'd really like to do an apple jelly on top of a smoked raisin ganache or a strawberry jelly on a coriander ganache.

[Kerry Beal]

I'd really like to do an apple jelly on top of a smoked raisin ganache or a strawberry jelly on a coriander ganache.

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Have you tried a coriander ganache before?

The apple on smoked raisin sounds interesting. I wonder what other smoked combinations would be good?

[KKLL00b]

Try an orange/citrus jelly with Earl Grey tea ganache.

[Tiny]

I've made a coriander ice cream before....it tastes like foot loops and went well with strawberries.

Smoked cherries are also very tasty!

[nyokie6]

strawberry with white chocolcate with a touch of basil or apricot with dark chocolate with rosemarry. I have dipped freit in herb flavored chocolate and jellies sound even better.

[pastrygirl]

I've made a coriander ice cream before....it tastes like foot loops

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I totally agree, what is it about coriander that ends up froot loops? Lavender can seem a little froot-loop-y to me sometimes too.

[Kerry Beal]

I'm going to have to give the coriander a try. It's not a flavour I care for much in savory applications, but I think that's because it gives me heartburn. Maybe with chocolate that won't happen!

[gap]

Kerry, if you enjoy your raspberry PDFs, try a soft hazelnut praline ganache on top - that's one of my faves

[Lior]

Pineapple is different and goes with a lot of things. CLoves? CHile?

[Kerry Beal]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Peanut butter and jam is a great combination, any thoughts on other nut and fruit combinations?

[eskay]

Raspberry and pistachio...although I can't figure out if the reason I like that combination has more to do with the colours than the flavours

[Tiny]

Almond nutbutter and raspberries or blue berries

Cashew nutbutter and citrus marmalade

[reenicake]

mango and lime (dipped in milk chocolate or the lime ganache made with milk chocolate, this is incredible.)

five-spice blueberry and white chocolate cashew ganache -- sorry, this is one of my all-time faves, spun off of the flavor combo I did for my wedding cake. Sort of like pb'n'j but with a zing.

blackberry and Guinness or malt

passionfruit and vanilla

[Lior]

pine nuts and pomegranates. I think I will have to try this!!

[alanamoana]

kalamansi pate de fruit with a white chocolate ganache infused with lemongrass?

[gap]

Red wine and fig PDF with a plain, soft, dark chocolate ganache

[Kerry Beal]

I'm working on the orange creamsicle. I've got an orange pates de fruit made, now I have to decide which version of a white chocolate ganache I want to make to compliment it - perhaps a creme fraiche ganache, or perhaps plain vanilla.

A creamsicle is orange sherbet and vanilla ice cream right?

[Truffle Guy]

Thanks for all the suggestions. 

Peanut butter and jam is a great combination, any thoughts on other nut and fruit combinations?

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I do a piece with morello cherry pate de fruit and then a ganache with amaretto, almonds and apricots in milk chocolate that is nice.

[reenicake]

I'm working on the orange creamsicle.  I've got an orange pates de fruit made, now I have to decide which version of a white chocolate ganache I want to make to compliment it - perhaps a creme fraiche ganache, or perhaps plain vanilla. 

A creamsicle is orange sherbet and vanilla ice cream right?

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I vote for the creme fraiche ganache with white chocolate!! sort of layers of dairy/floral creamy flavor.

[Kerry Beal]

So I made the orange creamsicle. I didn't have any creme fraiche so I went with a vanilla ganache and an orange pate de fruit layer made with a base of pear and frozen orange concentrate for the orange. I added a little grand marnier.

I dipped part in dark and part in white and overall I think I like the dark much better. The orange jelly is quite bitter and sweet, so the dark tends to compliment that more. The white just seems to accentuate the bitterness.

I'm thinking about the kalamansi and white chocolate ganache infused with lemongrass that Alana suggested. I know I've got kalamansi puree in the freezer, but I'll have to hit the asian store for some fresh lemongrass.

Then I'm going to have to figure out what to do with all the chocolate I'm making, I know there will be a few end of year teacher gifts, but I really don't need to have a basement full of finished chocolates before I head up north.

[Tri2Cook]

Chocolate/coffee/raspberry maybe? I have no idea what it would be like for what you're doing but I made a coffee/chocolate ice cream base today that I'm going to freeze and swirl raspberry sauce into tomorrow. A friend of mine really likes chocolate-raspberry coffee from the local coffee shop so I decided to make this ice cream and see if it passes her taste test.

How about chocolate-blue cheese ganache with a port-pear jelly? Does that sound like a little too much going on?

I'm trying to think of a ganache to use a chile (habs, jalapenos, etc) jelly with beyond the usual suspects but the brain isn't in high gear right now.

Of course we have to include a show of respect to Rob in this list. He's been on the cutting edge of all things celery in the pastry forum so maybe a peanut butter ganache with celery jelly?

This is fun.

[Kareen]

I was inspired, I made a banana PDF and a cinnamon/rhum ganache. Awesome results.

[patris]

Of course we have to include a show of respect to Rob in this list. He's been on the cutting edge of all things celery in the pastry forum so maybe a peanut butter ganache with celery jelly?

This is fun.

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Expanding on that idea - how about posh ants-on-a-log? Celery jelly with raisin-peanut butter ganache. I'm not a huge celery fan, but I'd eat that!

Or breakfast in a bite? Orange jelly with bacon-maple ganache.

Actually, that sounds kind of gross.

[Kerry Beal]

Of course we have to include a show of respect to Rob in this list. He's been on the cutting edge of all things celery in the pastry forum so maybe a peanut butter ganache with celery jelly?

This is fun.

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Expanding on that idea - how about posh ants-on-a-log? Celery jelly with raisin-peanut butter ganache. I'm not a huge celery fan, but I'd eat that!

Or breakfast in a bite? Orange jelly with bacon-maple ganache.

Actually, that sounds kind of gross.

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That does sound a little gross. The place we always go out to for breakfast puts large slices of orange on the plate - I don't like it when it touches my bacon or my eggs.