White chocolate ganache

[tammylc]

Are you using milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate? And what kind? Different brands of chocolate will have different amounts of cocoa butter, which will effect viscosity.

The standard ratio for dark chocolate truffle centers is 2 parts chocolate to one part liquifier (combined weight of cream, fruit puree, butter, liqueur). Milk chocolate ratio is more like 1:2.5 (I don't use milk much, so I'm not the best to ask on that one...)

What technique are you using to make your ganache? There are two main techniques described in the Grewling book - 1) finely chop your chocolate, pour your cream over top, let set for a couple of minutes, then stir to emulsify. Or 2) use melted chocolate at temper, pour 105 degree cream over top, stir to emulsify. Either will work. I have made ganache with melted chocolate that is not in temper, but it sets up much faster if you use tempered chocolate.

We might be able to help you more if you posted the formulas you're using. Are you using weight or volume measures?

[Kerry Beal]

What chocolate are you using for your ganache? Do you have a copy of Greweling?

[chocofoodie]

I do not have Grewling - yet. I ordered it, but it hasnt come yet.

For the last two batches (yesterdays and todays) I am using Callebaut white chocolate. I am trying to make a white chocolate nut truffle. First I pureed my nuts into a paste. Then I microwaved 10 ounces of chocolate til it was fully melted. I mixed the chocolate with about 2.3 ounces of the puree until it was fully mixed. Then I microwaved almost 5 ounces of cream and added it to it. First let me say that I apart from the final ganache result, I have also had horrible emulsion experiences as well. I added the cream here slowly, and it was working out fine, then all of a sudden it broke. So I microwaved another about quarter cup cream and mixed into that an equal amount of my broken ganache and i had to keep adding to that very slowly until it was all done and emulsified. Needless to say, I had very sore wrists. But anyway, then I spread it at the bottom of a tupperware container and left it to set overnight. The next morning I started scooping out balls but it was still rather sticky and soft. but after leaving the balls on the marble slab for a while, they were hard enough on the outside to dip. But I put aside a portion of the ganache, about a half cup, that I wanted to experiment adding more chocolate to. I melted a small amount of chocolate, less than half a cup, and added it. i let that sit again at the bottom of my tupperware. it was rock hard in the morning. so i microwaved it and added 50 ml cream to it, also microwaved. after much work, it became a paste, which i left overnight. TODAY, the mixture was again pretty hard, softer than yesterday, but still to hard to make into balls. so I microwaved it a little and put it into a piping bag and piped it out into rows. I am now going to sit and shape them into balls. (I tried one, and it did shape, with a bit of resistance).

But here's the thing. I took a 2 hour chocolate class, nothing serious or professional or anything, just a fun class. it was an intro to chocolate making and you get to go home with chocolates that 'you' made. In the class, we used one container cream (at room temperature) to two parts melted chocolate (dont know if it was tempered or not, but i am assuming it wasnt because I remember he just popped it in the microwave for this step, then he tempered with us watching after). So we poured the cream into a bowl, then poured in the 2 containers worth of chocolate and mixed it barely, just until the white streaks of cream were gone. It was so easy. I thought, this is great, I can make this so easily at home. Since then I have tried with every type of cream (including the same brand and size he gave us in class) and every type of chocolate and every time it doesnt work!

Sorry about all this, but im sure you can imagine my frustration!

thanks for your help!

[chocofoodie]

Oh, and about the time we made it in class. The consistency was thicker than plain old melted chocolate, but it was still very 'liquid'. We put it into piping bags and piped long straight lines then we waited ten minutes for them to harden a little before we started rolling them into balls. When we rolled them into balls, it wasnt sticky. it was still kind of wet, you got some chocolate onto your hands, but they were firm and easy to work with. then we dipped them into tempered chocolate and coated them in nuts and things, and the whole time we were using our hands and they held up perfectly.

When I was making mine yesterday, I used a dipping tool, and still some of them were so soft that they were being indented by the tool.

[Kerry Beal]

I can see why you are frustrated.

Working with white chocolate to make ganache is challenging. Your ganaches are often quite soft. You might find it easiest to master dark first.

Greweling suggests having your chocolate tempered first, then adding your cream at 41 degrees C (105 to 106 F). Stir sort of middle of bowl out, contining to stir until you see that glossy emulsion form. I have found this to work very well and they set up amazing fast compared to methods I have used in the past.

Edited October 26, 2007 by Kerry Beal (log)

[tammylc]

I second everything Kerry says.

In the recipe you described, you used 2 parts white chocolate to 1 part cream to start off. That would be fine for dark chocolate, but will be a very soft ganache for white. If you still want to play with white chocolate, try using a ratio of 3 or even 4 parts of chocolate to the cream.

You will find the Grewling book very helpful once it comes in. He explains things in great detail and includes lots of troubleshooting tips. Try some of his formulas as written first (using the percentages to adapt them to smaller quantities) so you can see how it's supposed to work, then start playing with your own formulas.

[merlicky]

I also have some ganache questions.

In the Godiva Dark chocolate truffle recipe online they use sugar in their ganache. What is the purpose of the sugar? Does it just add sweetness? If so, then why would you want more sugar in a Dark chocolate truffle since it is dark because of having less sugar in the chocolate?

They also melt the butter in with the cream and sugar before pouring it over the chocolate. Everything I have read says to add the butter later. What effect does the timing of the butter addition have on the ganache?

Thanks,

Mike.

[Kerry Beal]

I also have some ganache questions.

In the Godiva Dark chocolate truffle recipe online they use sugar in their ganache.  What is the purpose of the sugar?  Does it just add sweetness?  If so, then why would you want more sugar in a Dark chocolate truffle since it is dark because of having less sugar in the chocolate?

They also melt the butter in with the cream and sugar before pouring it over the chocolate.  Everything I have read says to add the butter later.  What effect does the timing of the butter addition have on the ganache?

Thanks,

Mike.

←

I don't like to add sugars to ganaches because I don't like them to be too sweet. I suppose in addition to sweetness it might increase shelf life by decreasing available water.

I find that adding the room temperature butter to the cooled emulsion means you are less likely to have a film of melted fat form on your ganache as it cools. Melting the butter in with the cream means more fat that has to be incorporated into the emulsion in the initial mixing phase. It certainly can be done, I just find I've had more broken emulsions that way.

[sote23]

I agree with kerry, white can be difficult to work with. I also recommend you try dark first and once you get some expierence with it, you can try white.

Luis

[chickie]

another person here to say white is diffcult.

Your teacher may have not broken the temper of the chocolate in class when he microwaved it, there is a fairly easy "formula" to melting in the microwave to maintain temper, it has been a long time since I did it but I am sure you could find it (basically small bursts)

You may have problems with your ganache breaking because of the added oil from your nuts. Generally a small amt. of liquid would fix this, but since you are already working with white chocolate adding more iquid is going to cause more thinness issues.

[chocofoodie]

Thanks everyone for your comments. I think I am going to follow your advice and practise more direct recipes. And not white chocolate ones! I cant wait for the Grewling book to come in to help with that.

In the end, the first batch that had less chocolate actually tasted better (it was soft, but smooth). The second experimental batch, where I added more chocolate, was very crumbly in texture.

[greenbean]

I recently made some little chocate ganache cakes for a baby shower and the friend I made them for said that her daughter wants them for her birthday. This started me thinking that I may need a different covering than dark chocolate ganache. Has anyone ever made a white chocolate ganache?

I have a recipe that I received at a demo (I'm a recovering PC), but I've never tried it myself. I have searched the web for recipes and reviews and there was much talking of separation and curdling. For basic ganache I use a 3/2 chocolate to cream ratio, but I know there is a difference for white or milk chocolate. I know I can use poured fondant, but it has it's limitations.

Has anyone made white chocolate ganache and what are your thoughts, recommendations, tips or tales?

Thanks

Greenbean

[pastrygirl]

Are you talking poured ganache, whipped ganache, spreading ganache between layers? You do need to use less cream with white chocolate. For a stiff ganache, 2:1 chocolate to cream for dark and 2.5:1 for white, more cream for pouring. I recently made white with that proportion (and lime zest) to ice some carrot cupcakes, it was good at room temperature, pretty thick and stayed on the cupcakes, and the cashews stayed in place on top. It was not totally opaque, but I was also in a hurry and used it still a little warm so it was a pretty thin layer (1/8"?). The extra was very solid after refrigeration.

[greenbean]

Are you talking poured ganache, whipped ganache, spreading ganache between layers? 

I was definitely looking for something pourable, but thick enough to cover.

Were you able to emulsify this by hand (whisk or rubber spatula) or did you have to use an immersion blender? (I've heard talk of the blenders for WCG). Also, what brand of white chocolate did you use?

Thanks for the feedback,

Greenbean

[pastrygirl]

Greenbean, it came together fine with a spatula - luckily, as we don't have an immersion blender at that location.

[QbanCrackr]

I originally tried doing a white ganache (8oz:4oz), but the end result never set up...2nd time around i added some more chocolate (12oz:4oz) and it setup alot better than the first time (white chocolate lime), but since the lime flavors weren't as pronounced as i would have wanted, today I came back to try and get the flavors where i wanted. I used the same ratio of chocolate to cream but it came out weird...I took some pics to show.

It looks separated almost? not how my ganache normally comes out at all (its almost greasy both to the touch & in mouthfeel) but the taste was good at least.

Any ideas of why this happened? This is only my 3rd time working with white chocolate ganache.

D

[Lior]

It looks separated for sure! Try using a hand held blemder/emulsifier to get it emulsified. That usually works. If not then there are different options like adding some alcohol or milk...but first try the emulsifier. I usually do closer to a 3:1 for a white ganache. Adding some glucose or honey even will giveit a bit of a shine and a good texture and it even helps in emulsifying it. Good luck

[QbanCrackr]

i took yr advice there, i heated it up a little to be able to get at it with the immersion blender easier and then did that until it started to come together then i just had at it with the whisk.

in the end, the ganache came back together and i broke my whisk.

ganache: 1

whisk: 0

since you have so much more chocolate than cream in the 3:1, how do you melt all the chocolate without it separating?

melt the chocolate first then add it with the cream?

[Lior]

You can melt and temper the chocolate and leave it is liquidy, but then you should add the cream at around the same temp as the chocolate (30). I usually just zap it till some is a bit meltly, and then mix it together as much as poss and when it is kind of partially melty and lumpy and sticky (do you know what I mean?) add the hot cream, which can be infused with flavors. Pour onto cake when both are not hot, but ganache is still pourable. It is late here... sorry for the weird descriptions.

[parameda]

Is there a way to reduce the white chocolate ganache sweetness? I made some fillings with raspberries and some with banana but I don't like the intrusiveness of white choc. Can anyone help, please?

[Kerry Beal]

Which white chocolate are you using?

[parameda]

I'm using Belcolade white chocolate discs

[Kerry Beal]

I use the same for most - not as sweet as some! I generally add a bit of citric acid to fruit centers - also to make the chocolate take a back seat - I'll try to build layers of the fruit flavour - so fruit, a bit of flavour compound and maybe some powdered freeze dried fruit. Then some complimentary booze - so kirsch with the raspberry, lemon with the banana.

[parameda]

Thanks Karry. So, how much citric acid do you add? I read somewhere that people also use salt for this but I'm a bit suspicious about that. Has anyone tried?

[Kerry Beal]

I use about 1/2 tsp (not sure of the gram weight) for a recipe that makes 250 centres.