Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Butter Ganache


Stephanie Wallace

Recommended Posts

Butter ganache has been discussed here frequently, particularly since the release of the Greweling book, but woefully little information seems to have been passed around. Can anyone supply a basic ratio of butter to chocolate (%60-%70)? Or better yet, break it down into optimal %sugar %cocoa butter %butterfat %water %cocoa solids? Also, does anyone feel that the fat-based emulsion obfuscates the release of flavor and aroma?

Formerly known as "Melange"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For a milk chocolate butter ganache to be piped I use about 2 parts chocolate to 1 part butter. I think Greweling's recipes are between 2 and 3 parts chocolate to 1 part butter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the info. Do you have any idea how much additional liquid can be included in a formula?

I generally don't add any extra liquid because I like to add crispy things to butter ganache so they won't go soft.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just made some raspberry and some orange butter ganache to fill molds. I have a little extra of the orange. Is it going to be possible to get this extra bit back to piping consistency? Seems like once it's set up it's going to be tricky to get back into temper. Or is it a use-it-or-lose it situation? Maybe it could be softened to room temperature and mixed in with an new batch?

FWIW, I used 210 g chocolate, 75 g butter, 75 g jam, and 30 g liqueur, following Greweling's 2:1 formula, with butter and alcohol counting as liquifiers and the jam only counts as sugar. The raspberry is pretty stiff because I used dark chocolate (55%), the orange has milk chocolate and that was looking a little softer. Both are yummy, and nice how they set up faster than cream ganache so you don't have to wait so long to put the bottoms on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just made my very first butter ganache...Greweling's Raspberry Bites...except that I skipped the milk chocolate and also added caramelized chocolate nibs. The exercise was mainly to use the nibs. All seemed to go well. It's sitting waiting for me to temper some more chocolate for pre-coating, etc. (Remember this time not to temper the precoating chocolate)

My question is: what does Greweling mean exactly when he says 'stream' the one ingredient into another. How does one 'stream' a little bit of Framboise into a bowl of chocolate, butter and jam?

Thanks. :smile:

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Which, if you are doing a small batch by hand, means that you need at least three hands to hold the bowl, stir, and pour all at the same time.

I think I should have had more hands. Thanks for the explanation. :smile:

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would like to include some of my caramelized cacao nibs (thanks Kerry) in a butter ganache which has a coffee flavor and don't know how to go about it without a recipe.

To keep the nibs crunchy, you need a butter ganache. Would I simply put the coffee grounds straight into a butter ganache? Or make some sort of liquidless...or essential liquidless?... paste of the coffee grounds?

Greweling has no coffee butter ganache and Wybauw has had to go back to where he came from, so I am asking for some aid. :huh:

Thanks.

Edited by Darienne (log)

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would like to include some of my caramelized cacao nibs (thanks Kerry) in a butter ganache which has a coffee flavor and don't know how to go about it without a recipe.

To keep the nibs crunchy, you need a butter ganache.  Would I simply put the coffee grounds straight into a butter ganache?  Or make some sort of liquidless...or essential liquidless?... paste of the coffee grounds?

Greweling has no coffee butter ganache and Wybauw has had to go back to where he came from, so I am asking for some aid.  :huh:

Thanks.

i think the texture of a putting the grounds into the ganache would be rather off-putting. You could use espresso powder and mix it with a small amount of water - perhaps that would be enough to add the flavor without adding too much moisture to the ganache.

You could try just infusing the butter with coffee flavor by putting a stick of butter and some coffee beans/grounds in a closed container for a while. Butter is well known for picking up flavors, so that might work...

Tammy's Tastings

Creating unique food and drink experiences

eGullet Foodblogs #1 and #2
Dinner for 40

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another thought would be to use the LorAnn flavours for chocolate - they don't add any additional water. But not useful if you want to stay all natural.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i think the texture of a putting the grounds into the ganache would be rather off-putting. You could use espresso powder and mix it with a small amount of water - perhaps that would be enough to add the flavor without adding too much moisture to the ganache.

You could try just infusing the butter with coffee flavor by putting a stick of butter and some coffee beans/grounds in a closed container for a while. Butter is well known for picking up flavors, so that might work...

I think you are right about the grounds problem and the more I think about it, the more I suspect that there are no recipes for coffee butter ganache because it is a no go.

Thanks for trying. Greweling's raspberry bites are terrific with the nibs in it so I'll just stick to it and use a cream coffee ganache which works well...without nibs.

Thanks.

Oops. Did not see Kerry's reply. Right. No Lorann. Thanks.

Edited by Darienne (log)

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think you are right about the grounds problem and the more I think about it, the more I suspect that there are no recipes for coffee butter ganache because it is a no go.

But Greweling does have butter ganaches that include liquid such as liqueurs or fruit juices, so I think a strong coffee extract or some Kahlua should be fine. If you can get Trablit coffee extract, it is very good and all natural, or instant espresso in a little water works too. If you want to add more than the 40 g or so of liquid called for, reduce the butter by that much - he says that butter and liquid flavorings count as liquifiers but liquid sweeteners do not. I'd try the basic ratios in the passion fruit honey or spiked eggnog ganache, and use some combination of Kahlua and extract instead of the passion fruit or rum.

Tammy's idea of putting whole beans in with butter to transfer flavor should also work with chocolate. I'm sure I've seen a recipe somewhere for a white coffee ice cream made by letting white chocolate and coffee beans sit together overnight.

Trablit: http://www.lepicerie.com/catalog/product_1...ee_Extract.html

Edited by pastrygirl (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Leaving coffee beans in white chocolate at 45 degrees (warming cabinet or very low oven) definately infuses a great coffee flavour to the chocolate in about 5 hours - overnight would give a very strong infusion (which you might need for a butter ganache)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

But Greweling does have butter ganaches that include liquid such as liqueurs or fruit juices, so I think a strong coffee extract or some Kahlua should be fine.  If you can get Trablit coffee extract, it is very good and all natural, or instant espresso in a little water works too.  If you want to add more than the 40 g or so of liquid called for, reduce the butter by that much - he says that butter and liquid flavorings count as liquifiers but liquid sweeteners do not.  I'd try the basic ratios in the passion fruit honey or spiked eggnog ganache, and use some combination of Kahlua and extract  instead of the passion fruit or rum.

Tammy's idea of putting whole beans in with butter to transfer flavor should also work with chocolate.  I'm sure I've seen a recipe somewhere for a white coffee ice cream made by letting white chocolate and coffee beans sit together overnight.

Trablit:  http://www.lepicerie.com/catalog/product_1...ee_Extract.html

Thanks for all the information. I did go to the website. Very nice, indeed.

I could try it in one of the ways you talk about. Thanks again. :smile:

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...