Anyone Using Valrhona Opalys?

[Jim D.]

I know this is a very specific question, but I'm seeking some assistance from anybody on the forum who uses Valrhona's fairly new Opalys for making ganache. I am having trouble with white chocolate ganaches separating and have noticed it especially since I began using this chocolate. I just finished Greweling's passion fruit ganache--one of the simplest recipes imaginable. I have made it many times without an issue. Since I am slabbing it, I followed his advice and tempered the chocolate, had the cream and passion fruit purée at 105 F., mixed them as usual, but the mixture separated. I was able to get it back together by mixing it gradually into some heated cream, but the texture is less than perfect. So I'm wondering if Opalys is more sensitive to heat or ...? I use it because I really like its flavor but may have to reconsider.

[pastrygirl]

Oddly enough I made passion fruit ganache with Opalys this morning! Piped into shells, though, not slabbed. I used a little bit more cream/passion fruit than usual because the Opalys seems thicker. I used to always make that ganache with Felchlin Mont Blanc but ran out. IIRC I used 130g each cream and passion fruit perfect puree (instead of the usual 120), 40g glucose syrup, 440g Opalys, and 34g butter. Heated cream, passion fruit, and glucose to a boil, poured over chocolate in food processor, processed until smooth, processed in butter.

[Kerry Beal]

What is the fat content vs the white you were using before? If the fat is too high in the mixture it often won't emulsify.

[Jim D.]

What are the chances we would be using the same chocolate for the same ganache at the same time? Great minds....

I used Valrhona Ivoire previously, Callebaut's white for quite a while before that. I don't know the fat content, but all these chocolates are supposed to be fine for ganache.

I made another ganache later today--Wybauw's banana. He calls for tempering the chocolate and mixing it with the caramel (which has banana and passion fruit in it). I was extremely careful to have the choc. at 84-85 F. and the caramel mixture at 105 F. I mixed the choc. in very slowly. Same thing happened. Tried the stick mixer, then the food processor, and neither did any good. So I resorted to mixing the broken ganache into a little heated cream. This worked, though the result didn't look great. I am quite perturbed that this is happening so often.

I have made the passion fruit ganache previously since switching to Opalys, and it was fine. This time, in fact, the result looks great and I can cut the slab with no problem. As an experiment I might give up tempering the choc. and see what happens.

[Kerry Beal]

44% fat vs 41% in Ivoire - and it says it has more milk. I'd add more 'water' - ie milk.

[Jim D.]

Not sure what you mean. I should add additional cream to the ganache? Or did you literally mean milk? That is not something I have ever seen in a recipe.

[Kerry Beal]

Milk - free water. Or booze - or any other liquid. Not too much - just enough to surround the fat sufficiently to allow it to emulsify.