Ganache: Tips, Techniques & Troubleshooting

[gfron1]

Probably but see what is in your chips. Often times chips are not just chocolate, they have all sorts of added stuff (preservatives, etc.).

[oli]

Probably but see what is in your chips.  Often times chips are not just chocolate, they have all sorts of added stuff (preservatives, etc.).

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Nestle's Semi-sweet Morsels - semi-sweet chocolate (sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, milkfat, soy lecithin, vanillin- an artificial flavour, natural flavour)

[gfron1]

And, obtusely, there's your answer. You're not really dealing with chocolate so much as chocolate based product. There are others far more versed than I on this subject - I know Kerry includes a discussion of this in her great workshops. Do a test batch and see what happens. Start with the idea that you are using the most extreme milk end of the "chocolates."

(snobbery aside...then lick the bowl with reckless abandon!)

[JeanneCake]

I find Callebaut bittersweet callets to be very viscous - more so than other brands. It also firms up much faster than any other brand I've tried.

[CanadianBakin']

I haven't found success using chocolate chips. As Rob said you're not dealing with pure chocolate. I believe chips have additives to make them hold their shape after enduring time in the oven. Of course, the chips you have may work but I think you'd have a better experience if you bought chocolate.

[Kerry Beal]

Actually those ingredients look consistent with 'real' chocolate, depending on what 'chocolate' is in the list. It depends on the percentage of cocoa butter to cocoa mass how firmly they will set in the long run, but if you add the hot cream a bit at a time to the chips, then use an immersion blender to get the last bits of unmelted chocolate to mix in, they will probably set up firm fairly quickly.

Let us know how they turn out.

[Sebastian]

it's a bit of a tough question to answer w/o knowing the specifics. chocolate chips and chocolate couverature can have many variations - for the most part, chocolate chips are simply couverature at a lower fat level. of course there are variations on a theme, for example, many chocolate chips contain 2-4% dextrose to help in shape retention and antibloom in baked goods, where as i've yet to see a couverature that uses dextrose. there can be some technical differences in the hardness of the cocoa butter used between the two product lines (as measured by differiential scanning calorimetry), but now we're getting down to extreme precision and probably isn't really relevant. the biggest thing to keep in mind is that your chips will have less cocoa butter in than your couverature, so at the end of the day, yes they'll work for a ganache, but your fat/water/solids ratio will be different and may need to be adjusted to suit your personal preference.

[gfron1]

Actually those ingredients look consistent with 'real' chocolate, depending on what 'chocolate' is in the list.  It depends on the percentage of cocoa butter to cocoa mass how firmly they will set in the long run, but if you add the hot cream a bit at a time to the chips, then use an immersion blender to get the last bits of unmelted chocolate to mix in, they will probably set up firm fairly quickly.

Let us know how they turn out.

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My comment about "real" has more to do with cocoa %. With sugar being the top ingredient, its going to respond much differently than a chocolate that lists cocoa solids as the top ingredient (as you stated).

[oli]

I initially made this cake before using Callebaut chocolate a couple of years ago but ran out the other day. So all I had was the Nestle's chips and really didn't give it a whole lot of thought because I've never experimented with anything but Callebaut. Now I have first hand experience that chips have added ingredients that make it ideal for cookies and not for cakes.

So the result was the cake was difficult to cut because it had firmed up too much. Other than that the cake was a hit with everyone except me.

[chefpeon]

So the result was the cake was difficult to cut because it had firmed up too much.

The way to fix that, is, next time add more cream.

Because I go through so much ganache at work, and I have to keep cost in mind, I use chocolate chips exclusively to make ganache. Of course, they're Callebaut chips...

I simply control the consistency of it by adding more or less cream.

I don't have the time to chop up expensive bars, and for ganache it doesn't matter much if you are using a less expensive chocolate. I save my bars for things that really need that little extra quality (and temperability), like when I dip items, or make chocolate mousse or decadence....

[oli]

So the result was the cake was difficult to cut because it had firmed up too much.

The way to fix that, is, next time add more cream.

Because I go through so much ganache at work, and I have to keep cost in mind, I use chocolate chips exclusively to make ganache. Of course, they're Callebaut chips...

I simply control the consistency of it by adding more or less cream.

I don't have the time to chop up expensive bars, and for ganache it doesn't matter much if you are using a less expensive chocolate. I save my bars for things that really need that little extra quality (and temperability), like when I dip items, or make chocolate mousse or decadence....

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I agree with you and it would have worked in my situation had I thought about it before hand. The recipe I used had worked okay in the past contain a certain amount of chocolate and a certain amount of veg. oil, no cream in this recipe. For me to know if the ganache recipe would work is, I would have to wait and see how the ganache sets up and then keep adding more oil and wait again until I got the right consistancy, but wouldn't work in my situation, as time was not abundant.

Edited May 7, 2008 by oli (log)

[merlicky]

I would answer the question, yes and no.

Since both are based on chocolate, they should set up the same if their percentages are the same. Chips are often semi-sweet, so would have to use a different amount of cream than you would with bitter-sweet or milk chocolate.

However, I have found that chips produce a slightly grainier texture than covertures most likely due to the lower quality chocolate and the extra lecithin to help them retain their shape.

[alanamoana]

Because I go through so much ganache at work, and I have to keep cost in mind, I use chocolate chips exclusively to make ganache. Of course, they're Callebaut chips...

I simply control the consistency of it by adding more or less cream.

I don't have the time to chop up expensive bars, and for ganache it doesn't matter much if you are using a less expensive chocolate. I save my bars for things that really need that little extra quality (and temperability), like when I dip items, or make chocolate mousse or decadence....

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I'm going to argue semantics just for clarification:

while the op meant chocolate chips for cookies (semi-sweet morsels), this can be confusing to some since so many 'high quality' chocolates come in a non-block/non-bar form...often, each brand has their own word for this chip form:

Valrhona - feves

Callebaut - callets (sp?)

Michel Cluizel - mini-gramme

etc. etc.

These 'chips' are easier to use than bars as they don't need to be chopped, but they shouldn't be confused with chocolate chips which are meant for cookies as they are the same formula as the bar form.

And Annie, I know you know this

[shaloop]

I use chocolate chips for ganache all the time. I use the least expensive, store brand chocolate chips. However, when I used Nestle, the resulting ganache was thicker and I didn't like it as much. Although this is a store brand (buy it at Walmart in the orange bag) I think it's made by a better known chocolatier. All brands don't work the same and I'm sure it's due to cocoa butter content and other ingredients. All creams don't work the same either due to fat content I suspect.

[chefpeon]

The recipe I used had worked okay in the past contain a certain amount of chocolate and a certain amount of veg. oil, no cream in this recipe.

Is chocolate with oil still a ganache?

I can see why you had the firmness problem now......

I just assumed you were using cream.......

[Kerry Beal]

The recipe I used had worked okay in the past contain a certain amount of chocolate and a certain amount of veg. oil, no cream in this recipe.

Is chocolate with oil still a ganache?

I can see why you had the firmness problem now......

I just assumed you were using cream.......

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Yup. So is chocolate with butter. And chocolate with water is a ganache as well. It just refers to an emulsion of chocolate in another substance.

[sugarseattle]

I use a chocolate baking chunk for ganache often...same reason as chefpeon...I don't have time to chop spendy chocolate since we make a couple of gallons of ganache every other day. I find that alone, the chips are just OK, but in ganache, maybe it's the cream, but they do taste pretty darn good as a component in a larger desserts. However, for special things like truffles, I use the good stuff.

I don't know about adding oil to already cheap chips. Seems better to add a little butter to increase their creaminess to at least add to quality rather than detract from it. I sometimes add a little squeeze of corn syrup or glucose to ganache when it's going to be in a big field (like a sheet cake or on top of a brownie) to prevent cracking. I've also found differences in whether ganache cracks depending on what brand/type of cream I use.

PS. I've already started to see fruit flies hovering around the ganache...they are so hopped up!

Edited May 8, 2008 by sugarseattle (log)

[Ceviz]

I'm using the classical method: After just boiling the cream, pouring it on the chocolate, waiting for 1-2 min and stirring. With milk chocolate, I've always reached to the pudding like consistency after 2-3 min stirring. But, with dark chocolate, I've never got the same result, pudding like consistency. I have no idea why dark chocolate behave so.

My ratios are 1:2.5 for milk and 1:2 for dark.

What should I do for the dark chocolate? Any advice ... thanks.

[gap]

If you're using a dark chocolate, its always best to combine with the cream using an immersion blender (a hand blender) or in a food processor. The higher cocoa % in a dark chocolate makes the ganache more likely to split so using a handheld blender (or food processor for a large batch) will help the emulsion.

[Ceviz]

Thank you gap.

It is said that stirring too much at low temperatures causes grainy structure, so, maybe, Recchiuti method is the best for dark chocolate.

Edited September 22, 2008 by Ceviz (log)

[schneich]

i just got my hands on the new wybauw book and if i compare his ganache technique with ramon moratos technique it shows that both prefer a cold emulsifiing method where the emulsification takes place at around 30-35 celsius on liquid tempered chocolate. did anyone compare this against the "hot" process where emulsification takes place at around 55-60 celsius on solid or liquid chocolate ?? the essence of their theory is that with the "cold" technique you dont loose your stable beta crystals...

[Kerry Beal]

i just got my hands on the new wybauw book and if i compare his ganache technique with ramon moratos technique it shows that both prefer a cold emulsifiing method where the emulsification takes place at around 30-35 celsius on liquid tempered chocolate. did anyone compare this against the "hot" process where emulsification takes place at around 55-60 celsius on solid or liquid chocolate ?? the essence of their theory is that with the "cold" technique you dont loose your stable beta crystals...

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I'm finding the cold technique gives a ganache that sets up nicely and quickly - haven't tested shelf life yet though.

[prairiegirl]

How ironic! I was going to start a post to see who is using the cold method! I am nervous to try this method but Ramon Morato recommends this method.

[Desiderio]

I don't have the books ( Xmas is getting close!) so I am not sure how they proceed for the cold technique, when I use a colder cream into tempered chocolate, I really love the consistency, plus the fact of using tempered chocolate into ganache doesn't prolong shelf life? Time to get me the books!

[prairiegirl]

cold technique is cream at 30 Celsius with the chocolate and other fats at 45 celsius. Emulsify together.