Ganache: The Reality Show
Sep 27th, 2008 by Marilyn
I found myself on a local cooking show, wearing white and standing over a bowl, demonstrating how to make ganache.
“Ganache is really the mother chocolate,” I was saying to the host, “just this simple mixture, but you can use it hot or cold, as a glaze, a frosting, a filling. In France it’s everything – it’s the chocolate building block for everything!”
Was I saying that? I heard my words sharp and separate, the way you hear yourself on the answering machine. I felt ill. I’d never cooked on camera, I’d skipped breakfast, and now I was two gulps away from heaving on the host. Then, something amazing happened – I not only heard my voice, I saw my hands moving, grasping a whisk, stirring cream into chocolate.
“You just pick it up around the edges a few times,” I said, stirring, “and move in wide circles.” Pick it up. What, the dry cleaning? Is my hair okay? Did I just touch my nose? I was still talking.
“…and then, toward the center. You just stir-stir-stir, and form a vortex.” The host was staring into the bowl. She doesn’t seem to know what a vortex is, I thought, clearly I was speaking a foreign language, in my head it sounded like bird language – so I whisked more vigorously, to show her.
It’s…a spinning circle, a whirling dervish, a swirling eddy. See how the cream and chocolate make a uniform, shiny center? The vortex.
After ganache, the show went on. The host cooed when I glazed chocolate hearts, and then the kirsch truffles looked divine, and aside from that unplugged mixer glitch, I began enjoying the lights, and the talking. I got bolder, gradually warming to my new, network-ready voice. Rolling truffles in cocoa powder, we went to commercial. “We’re rolling right along,” I sang, “and we’ll be right back!”
“Oh, that’s great,” said the producer, “I love that!”
I grinned the whole break, and turned to the host, giggling. “This is going pretty well, don’t you think? Next we’ll do the plating, and the rose petals, and…”
She was still, no longer rolling, frozen-eyed and tapping a fingernail on the stove.
Oh. Now I sounded like a sick crow again. “O-kay….soooo….what are you going to say when we’re back?” Nothing. “Should I roll more in sugar or more in cocoa? Ha ha, is this thing on?”
Later I’d gather up my sprinkles and platters, and stuff my chocolate-splotched jacket in a grocery bag. I handed out chocolate-glazed hearts and cherry truffles to the crew, on little cocktail napkins. Thank you, I told them, thanks for having me, certain I wouldn’t be back. I passed the burly cameraman on the way out and he was munching a truffle, cocoa on his chin. I said goodbye, and whispered, “I think the ganache segment came out pretty well, don’t you?”
Chocolate Ganache
from Chocolate, by Nick Malgieri, HarperCollins, 1998
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 pound (16 ounces) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
Optional ingredients can be added for flavor, richness and smooth texture. Pick one or all three:
1/4 cup light corn syrup (sweeter, shinier)
-or-
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened (richer, more flavorful)
Let the butter stand at room temperature until softened but still cool. Add the butter in chunks to combine during mixing.
-or-
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder dissolved in 1 tablespoon Kahlúa, any liqueur, or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
To make ganache:
Place chopped chocolate in a medium-sized, heat proof bowl. Note that hot cream will eventually be poured over it and must cover it entirely. If whipping later, use a stand mixer bowl, which is perfect.
Pour cream into a medium saucepan over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and immediately pour over chocolate. Shake bowl, and allow to stand for about 2 minutes.
Stir with a whisk until smooth. If using ganache for a frosting, whisk in the optional room temperature butter chunks and corn syrup until smooth. If desired, whisk in the optional espresso powder dissolved in liqueur.
* Ganache can be poured warm as a glaze, cooled and spread as a stiffer icing, or whipped. Allow to cool less time if pouring (should pour like corn syrup), more for spreading consistency (like buttercream) and the most time for whipping (stiff, but not hard). Don’t let ganache get too cold, or it will not spread as frosting. To re-warm, place the heat-proof bowl over a pan of hot water while stirring to desired texture. Do not reheat to “hot.”
* Ganache can also be refrigerated or set aside. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap pressed atop the ganache and store. If refrigerated, bring to room temperature before using by letting it sit in a warm kitchen spot, about an hour to soften.
* Whipped ganache is used for making truffles, piping, filling or making a mousse. It must be cool to lukewarm when whipped, to whip faster and hold better texture. To whip, place ganache in a mixing bowl and whip it vigorously hand or with an electric mixer on medium-high, until mixture is fluffy and has lightened in color. Do not overwhip or mixture will become grainy. Use whipped ganache immediately.
Ohhhh….I feel your tv pain. No warm fuzzies from the host, huh? She must have a little dried cockleburr for a heart if she couldn’t be friendly with ganache. Who doesn’t feel better at the aroma of warm chocolate?
jealousy,I tell you she was jealous,of your cooking prowess!!!
Where’s the You Tube!??!?!
Speaking of ganache…the Fiance made one of the Boston Creme Pie kits last night. YUM! I need to learn to make ganache for when the kits are all gone…
I want to see it on Youtube, too… Congratulations for going on air!
Yeah, we need some youtube! Thanks for the recipe. I’ve only made ganache two times and I just kind of made it up as I went along — it would be smarter to have a recipe (less stressful).
It’s hard when you think the host will help you, and instead you end up doing a monologue. Still, most people manage at least to oooh and aaah over chocolate. Was she asleep on her feet???
omg…
it was make me hungry
ohhhhhh….you’re famous! i wanna see this show!
Post the video! Post the video!
Jayne & Theresa: well, things were going meltingly well for a while – you can see where they went downhill.
Jean: I shouldn’t recommend ganache-making to anyone, honestly – it’s like offering someone their first beer.
Jude & Amy (Jean too): thank god, no YouTube! I hadn’t even considered that – but these days, you can sneeze at the store and see the video by the time you get home.
Lydia: I’m fairly sure I was doing better than it sounded in my head. But yes, you end up doing a monologue, and it’s painful!
Sasi: welcome! Chocolate has a way of doing that to people.
Natalie: not famous, but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night. (uh-oh. Step away from the TV) Hope you’re doing well and feeling well too!
Rechelle: as stated above, no video, and let’s be thankful for that. I do have a rogue VHS copy or two…
You had me laughing throughout the whole post! Thanks for sharing your experience in depth! I felt your anxiety and frustration and side thoughts!
Will we be able to see you?!!! Please share the clip!
I was thinking I knew exactly which show you were referring to and the host is about as dry as an old toenail found on the bathroom floor. I hope I can catch your segment. Maybe they’ll ask you to take over someday.
One of the world’s most perfect food.
I think I would have rambled on and on as well.
I become gluttonous around ganache. I am absolutely mad for it, therefore, I end up making it quite often.
This whole story was adorable. Don’t you just love those moment of self-consciousness, where you can hear yourself speaking and see yourself moving as if you’re on auto-pilot?
So, will you be doing this show again?
I have learned so much here.
This was a great post, I could also smell the chocolate as you described how you were whisking away.
I’ll have to agree with the camera man, this segment did turn out ok
White on Rice: welcome! Always glad when my foibles are good for a laugh (and they always are).
April: no chance – I believe it’s a lifetime appointment.
Peabody: I agree – nothing like a bowl of ganache for filling, frosting or snack!
Sandy: I actually did do it again, and that was positively the last time. Another tale for another day.
Jenni: oh, no way – I learn more about insects and history and kudzu – useful stuff, all! – in one glance at your blog than you could ever learn here.
Kang: that smell of warm chocolate and cream is definitely something special – who could ever get tired of it?
Reading your story and recalling my one and only television appearance on a local daily show, I am so thankful that it happened before the advent of You Tube. My face is hot just contemplating it. But for you, I somehow can’t conjure any embarrassment. I bet you were wonderful and the tv crew will never forget you. And that gorgeous, shiny, all too edible looking cake! I’m not much of a baker, but I feel inspired. Do you have a favourite brand of chocolate?
beautiful! I have been trying to think of a new header for my blog, stir until smooth, this Ganache would be perfect! I’m going to try it.
chocolate ganache might be the best treat ever. honestly, i could just eat a small bowl full and that would be my dessert
What great tips on making ganache! Thanks for posting those. I’ve been making chocolate truffles from a ganache base the past few years for christmas presents. I’ve had marginal success with the consistency… my ganache often melts at room temperature. Sometimes I can roll formed balls in chocolate, but I had to resort to filling chocolate molds last year! Is whipping really the way to go to keep this stuff solid at room temperature? If you had time for a few tips, I’d greatly appreciate it.
Hi Marilyn. Happy April:) I got such a Kick out of this post, I just had to include your link in an April Fool’s post I did today.
Thank you so much for sharing…
Love your post! It sounds to me like you did just great on that tv show
Did you ever post a follow-up about your next experience? I had to do a tv interview a few years ago when my book came out — it turned out ok, but definitely something I wouldn’t want to have to keep doing. I remember being soooo nervous before going on, and soooooo thirsty. And at one point blanking out as the hosts were talking (but luckily they covered for me 
) Here’s a toast, to surviving tv appearances!