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Hi @Pastrypastmidnight

 

To be honest - your ganache looks great.

 

You won't likely get as flat of a top as in, say, a tart or when pouring a slab, as in those instances you are able to pour the ganache at a higher free-flowing temperature because you aren't concerned about melting a shell. You can get pretty close though, by tapping the mould carefully on the counter immediately after piping. 

 

Your ganache ratio is fine. The below ratios are recommended by Ewald Notter and are the ones I typically use.

 

Ganache Ratios

Slabbed:

Dark 2:1

Milk 2.5:1

White 2.5:1

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Piped pralines (freeform shapes)

Dark 1.5:1

Milk 2:1

White 2:1

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Soft ganache (for moulds and truffle shells)

Dark 1:1

Milk 1.5:1

White 1.5:1

 

Ganache piping temperatures correlating to the shell's chocolate type

Dark 31 °C

Milk 30 °C

White 28 °C

 

Other tidbits

Cream

30-40% butterfat works. The higher the cocoa solids percentage contained in your chocolate, the higher percentage of butterfat in your cream is preferred.

 

Butter

Provides mouthfeel and is useful for extending missing butterfat in cream.

A Cream based ganache can have 10% of the total ganache weight, of butter added to it.

Before butter is added, it should be as soft as possible without being melted, otherwise, it will have a negative effect on the mouthfeel.