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Can you Freeze the Chocolate Ganache?
Chocolate Traditional ganache only requires two ingredients: chocolate and whipped cream. When melted, these ingredients form a thick, simmering sauce that can make ice cream cakes and cookies, ice cream toppings, or even truffles. The sauce will thicken as the melted chocolate solidifies. There’s no reason you can’t substitute cream for half and half, but the end product will be different.
Profits Chocolate
The main benefit of replacing half and half cream with cream is the waist. The cream has a whopping 414 calories each cup and 44 grams of fat, of which 28 grams is saturated fat. Half and half, that’s half milk, half cream has 315 calories per cup and 28 grams of fat. Some skim milk blends are even lower in calories and fat. Half and half also tend to cost less than cream.
Results Chocolate
Milk chocolate ganache has a smooth, sweet flavor. Because it contains half and half milk, the ganache made from it is thinner and lighter in texture. This finer ganache cannot be used to make truffles, but is ideal for coating a cake or topping on ice cream. Flavors such as vanilla, raspberry liqueur or mint extract also enhance the taste. Dark chocolate brands a very rich, slightly bitter ganache, while semi-sweet makes a standard ganache. Experiment with unlike types of chocolate to find the one that suits you best.
Portion
If you substitute half and half cream in the ganache, use the same amount of half and half as for the heavy cream. A typical recipe calls for 1 cup half and a half to 12 ounces of chocolate. Mixing the two is child’s play. Heat half and a half to almost boiling and pour over the chocolate. Stir occasionally until the chocolate is liquid and fully incorporated into halves and halves. Because half and half contain milk, it curdles more easily than whipped cream when exposed to high temperatures. Please don’t wait for it to boil. Another issue worth noting is stickiness. Leaking occurs when some liquid is added to the chocolate, causing the chocolate to clump together in an unsightly mess.
Alternatives
Half and half can substitute heavy cream in ganache, but it’s not your only option. Evaporated milk, recorded milk that’s been heated to remove 60 per cent of the water, drinks a soft texture but only 340 calories and 10 grams of a heavy per cup. It’s easy to layer into heavy whipping cream in ganache and has the added benefit of being shelf-stable. Sweet condensed milk is sometimes used to make an ultra-sweet, ultra-thick ganache suitable for fillings.
How do you Make a Flavored Ganache?
While the dark chocolate ganache is delicious enough, it lends itself well to a variety of tasty additions. Ganache is surprisingly easy to make and versatile despite its fancy French name: you can make everything from fluffy chocolate mousse to dense truffles with just two ingredients. The key is to add these flavors at the right time and in the right proportions to get a smooth texture.
The Addition Of Liquid Aroma
Popular additions to ganache include coffee and liqueurs, which add an extraordinary depth of flavor but require a bit of finesse to blend seamlessly with the ganache. Typically, a tablespoon or two of liquor or coffee, or a teaspoon of extract, will flavor the ganache without changing the texture. Once the chocolate has melted in the cream, gradually add the flavoring liquid while stirring. You want to avoid breaking the ganache, which causes curdling. If this happens, heat some more cream and slowly go it into the ganache until smooth again.
The Use of Aromatic Compounds
To flavour the ganache with spices, tea, or other solid aromatic compounds you don’t want going into the ganache, dip them in the cream before mixing it with the chocolate. Add the cream flavourings, gently heat to a boil, turn off the heat, and let sit for up to 20 minutes. If you want to skip the soaking, use ground spices or citrus zest. Strain the cream to remove aromatic compounds and reheat before adding to the chocolate. Just add the ganache once the chocolate has melted.
