White chocolate ganache

[Wendy DeBord]

as for the glopping on melting, it's a sure sign that you've either inadvertantly got water in somehow, it's old product (white chocolate is notorious for absorbing ambient moiture from it's environment) or you've overheated it.  You may be able to make it easier to work with by adding a drop of fluid lecithin to it and mixing vigorously.

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From my experience, I tend to disagree with the thought that glopping was caused by getting water into your ganche. Although it is possible, I don't think it's probable.

Instead, I find it very easy to get 'globbing' with white chocolate ganche if there's the slighest inbalance. Inbalance as in: not enough cream to chocolate ratio, not emulsified enough and certain brands of chocolate and or cream don't melt out like they should/or are expected to and sometimes the cocoa butter wants to seperate out even though you haven't over heated your cream.

For example, I used to use Flechlin chocolates and never in my years of using it did I encounter any ganche related problems. I never knew of, yet alone experienced a broken emulsion. But, currently I'm using E. Guittard and I've had to adjust all my ganche recipes because if I use the same proportions of cream to chocolate my ganches are all too dense/firm.

Although I can't prove it, it could also be the cream you have. I've had heavy cream that was low in butter fat and wouldn't even whip (like half and half) and I've had heavy cream that was so dense with fat it clops. So if your cream was off (which happens regardless of what the carton label says) you would get different results.

Also when making white chocolate ganche theres a very fine line between too thin and too thick. When your trying to achieve a thick white chocolate ganche your ganche will be very hard to emusify well, even when using a stick blender. A little less cream to chocolate ratio and you've got globs. A little too much cream and it remains very thin.

I believe the yellow color is something that becomes more evidient when you make a white chocolate ganche verses looking at the solid white chocolate. White chocolate ganche is yellow if your using real white chocolate that contains cocoa butter.

[Wendy DeBord]

- While melting my white chocolate for tempering ( for the coating ), all the pieces don't melt and that makes everything a mess when I transfer some of it on a marble slab for agitation!

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I assume your talking about when you temper your chocolate for covering your ganche......your not bothering to temper your chocolate for the ganche, right? (some people think they have to temper chocolate in all applications, so I'm just checking)

When I temper chocolate I use my stick blender.........and love it! It's a great tool for tempering.

Your chocolate needs to be completely melted before tabling it.......so you shouldn't have begun tabling before.

It is hard to melt/temper white chocolate because of what a low temp. it requires. Thats where the stick blender does wonders. It pulverizes your chocolate so fine that the tiny particals easily melt down at that low temp.. Where as stirring with a spatula doesn't really break down your smaller unmelted bits........and you naturally want to apply more heat to get those tiny bits to melt out.

I also use my stick blender to temper my chocolate so I don't have to table it (making a mess)........and it's such a breeze............I promise.

[scott123]

(white chocolate is notorious for absorbing ambient moiture from it's environment)

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Any theories as to why this might be?

Dark chocolate doesn't suffer from this trait, does it? Maybe I'm oversimplifying a bit, but isn't white chocolate just dark chocolate with the cocoa particulate matter subbed out with dried milk? Can it be some aspect of the dried milk that's causing this? The lactose perhaps? The whey? Is dried milk more hygroscopic than cocoa?

[choux]

Probably because white chocolate has a lot more sugar than dark chocolate and it is the sugar that absorbs the water.

[Sebastian]

Wendy - i took her problem to mean that she was having difficulties physically melting the chocolate in a smooth fashion, not that she was having difficulties getting the chocolate and the cream to mix together in a smooth fashion. If the issue was not that the chocolate wouldn't physically melt smoothly, but rather that it was being problematic only after the ccream was added, then i'd agree that not sufficient cream was being added - but my gut feel is that this is unlikely, as chocolate will 'glop' with the addition of the first few % of water, then this significantly reduces as more water is added. I've yet to see any one add so little cream that only a few % of water was present....

Scott - there are a few reasons for this. One is indeed the elevated levels of lactose, and part of the problem has to do with how lactose behaves as it transitions from a crystallline product to an amorphous product, and vice verse. Part of it has to do with how it attracts moisture, how it releases moisture (some of the lactose will be present as a mono and di-hydrate), vs how it holds onto moisture. Some of it has to do with the physical formulation of the white chocolate - if nonfat dried milk and anhydrous milk fat are used (essentially reconstituting dried whole milk, if you will), the product is much more stable over time. If high levels of whole milk powder are used, the product can exhibit difficulties in melting very, very quickly. Some of that is due to the presence of higher free fat in the NFDM version (if both products are formulated to say 35% total fat, the NFDM product has more 'free' fat from the anhydrous mlk fat than does the dried WMP, which has approximately 25% of it's fat 'bound' in the amorphous structure of the milk particulates). However, there's something else occurring there that i've not quite put my finger on yet, and I've not seen any technical papers that identify it. It may have to do with the levels of casein present (casein can act as a decent emulsifier), as well as the physical form of the casein (is it denatured, partially denatured, intact? likely some ratio of the three).

Almost all of the water present in sucrose will be surface bound - via electric double layers or adhesion. As choux notes, it's likely that the higher sucrose levels may be adding to this problem, but i'm not conviced that's the cause of the problem. Interestingly, it's very very rare to see this type of behaviour in products that contain cocoa solids, but it milk, dark,or compound products - suggesting that there's a protective element to the cocoa solids - but again, i've not been able to quite put my finger on just what that mechanism is yet.

I'd think that the interactions of milk proteins and cocoa proteins vs rheological aspects would make for a very interesting research topic for the aspiring higher ed student...

Edit - i should also point out that overheating the product during melting will cause significant problems with the melting process as well, as you're going to denature milk protiens, and once you do this, there's no fixing it.

Edited November 30, 2005 by Sebastian (log)

[Aria]

Once again, thank you so much!! I feel I'm taking a lot and not giving in return.

Anyway, Wendy, I'm intrigued as to how you use an immersion blender to temper, I can't imagine that.

Also, Wendy, do you stick ( ha! ) the blender right into the chocolate that's melting over the double boiler or do you do it while it's been removed from the heat source?

Finally, I don't temper the chocolate for the ganache!

[Wendy DeBord]

I always take my bowl off the double boiler when I use my stick blender............but that's because I don't want my cord to accidentally get burned. The way our outlets are by our counter my cord is too long and seems to get into everything.

If anyone reading this is interested, I'd love to find someone willing to do a demo thread on the method of tempering. Please pm me if your interested.

[Aria]

Hey all,

I have leftover white chocolate and cranberry ganache. I really don't feel like rolling any more truffles, does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can do with it? Thanks!

[Trishiad]

pour over brownies?

[RuthWells]

Hey all,

I have leftover white chocolate and cranberry ganache. I really don't feel like rolling any more truffles, does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can do with it? Thanks!

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It should freeze okay if you want to wait for inspiration.

[John DePaula]

You could use it to fill a tart shell: Pate Sucree or even a quick graham cracker crust.

[highchef]

remelt and serve with hot spicy gingerbread.

[nakji]

Eat it with a spoon?

That's probably what I'd do

[MightyD]

thin it down with hot cream and use it as a sauce.

[KatieLoeb]

Eat it with a spoon?

That's probably what I'd do 

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Hey - that's what I was going to say!

[ablosh]

I'd use it as frosting... FOR EVERYTHING! Hahaha!

I have leftover coffee mocha ganache inside my refrigerator right now and I use it on biscuits, cakes, breads or on its own.

I have to warn you though--IT IS HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH! lol.

[2010]

Add some hot whole milk and drink it as white hot chocolate and stir with a leftover candycane, oooh!

[highchef]

Add some hot whole milk and drink it as white hot chocolate and stir with a leftover candycane, oooh!

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I like that one too!!

[Randi]

Add some hot whole milk and drink it as white hot chocolate and stir with a leftover candycane, oooh!

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I like that one too!!

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Yeah, that one got my attention too!

[2010]

Just in case y'all want to make it from scratch http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?ty...styleType=learn

It's really good!

Edited January 9, 2006 by 2010 (log)

[McAuliflower]

You could also spread the ganache on cookies or graham crackers and pop them into the freezer. We would do this with frosting as a kid. It gets all chewy firm good!

I've been on a marshmallowmaking binge the last couple of weeks... You could make some excellent 'smores with ganache as your chocolate layer! I'm thinking strawberry marshmallows with white chocolate ganache...

[rooftop1000]

Add some hot whole milk and drink it as white hot chocolate and stir with a leftover candycane, oooh!

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actually I had dark choc ganache and white cho mousse...I made hot cocoa and floated the mousse like a marshmallow

Mmmmmmmmm

tracey

[chocofoodie]

Hello everyone!

Im new to this forum, and chocolate making and baking as well. Thats why I joined this forum, really, because I am in DESPERATE need of help! I cant even make a simple chocolate ganache correctly! My ganache either comes out two thick or to fluid. But I am following the proportions EXACTLY. I am getting super frustrated and was wondering if anyone had any tips or advice, or anything at all that might make me feel better :-)

thanks all!

[tammylc]

"Too thick" or "too fluid" will vary depending on what you want to use your ganache for. Are you making truffle centers, glazing a cake, or something else entirely?

[chocofoodie]

hi Tammylc,

I am trying to make truffle centers. But when it comes out to fluid I end up using it in molded chocolates because its so loose. Yesterday's batch was thick enough to use for a truffle, but it was still very soft and sticky. Today's batch is much thicker, it gets hard very fast so its hard to even roll it into balls.

When I look at pictures of what a ganache is supposed to look like before it sets, mine is nothing like it. its more dough like right from the beginning.

"Too thick" or "too fluid" will vary depending on what you want to use your ganache for. Are you making truffle centers, glazing a cake, or something else entirely?