Ganache is a glaze, of icing, sauce, or filling for pastries, that is made from chocolate and cream. It is an emulsion, meaning that one liquid, which can be heated cream, is mixed into another liquid chocolate until it is smooth, even though those liquids are not necessarily soluble. This mixture is similar to mixing water and oil. For a thicker, fudge-like consistency to use for thick fillings, a cooled ganache works best. Also, If you have frozen ganache simply thaw your ganache in the fridge and it will be ready to go. However, if you are interested in heating up your ganache below are some of the effective ways you can warm it up.
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The Stovetop Method
The stovetop is one of the most effective ways of warming up your ganache. If you have prepared a ganache designed to be a glaze, you need it warmed up to room temperature, so that it becomes liquid and but not too runny so that it doesn’t stick. Simply follow these steps;
- Let your ganache thaw if it is from the freezer,
- Make use of a double boiler or a heatproof bowl. Those two are your best options because they are slow and steady and you have the most control over the results you get.
- Put about an inch or two of water in a pot and let your ganache slowly melt just as if you were melting your chocolate,
- Let your ganache heat up in a double boiler or a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water.
- Stir consistently until your ganache is almost fully melted,
- Remove your ganache from the heat, and then let the last little bit melt with the residual heat of the ganache.
- Apply on your pastries when it is ready to serve,
The Microwave Method
Another effective way to reheat your ganache is in the microwave. The microwave method is also effective if you are in a rush and need your ganache as soon as possible. However, you need to be patient so that you do not cook your ganache into a crunchy fudge. Follow these steps to reheat your ganache in the microwave.
- Make use of a microwave safe dish or glass bowl,
- Heat up your ganache in the microwave at medium to low heat,
- Heat up your ganache every 10- to 30-seconds and fold your ganache with a spatula between each burst to evenly distribute the heat.
- You can stop when there are still a few lumps because the residual heat will melt the rest.
- You can apply your ganache on your pastries when ready,
Tips For Reheating Ganache
- If you have made a ganache that is too thick you can loosen it by adding more cream, slowly until it’s the right consistency for your recipe,
- For a thick liquid ganache, add more chocolate to the cream while it’s still hot. Note that ganache thickens naturally as it cools. Depending on what you’re using it for, you can put your ganache in the fridge to cool, and it will turn more fudge-like. You can also whip it once it’s cooled to create a thick, stable texture.
- Split ganache happens when the fat starts to separate from the cream and your chocolate glaze becomes grainy. Your ganache can split whether it is fresh or reheated. To prevent splitting from happening, simmer the cream instead of boiling it. If your ganache is too hot, the fat in the chocolate will overheat and that will cause the separation. When that happens, add a small amount of additional chocolate to balance the fat while it is still hot. If it is cooled already, reheat and remix it so that it comes together again nicely.
- You can freeze or cool your ganache in its original liquid chocolate gold state.
- You can also whip the ganache before freezing it, let it unthaw in the fridge and give it another quick whip to smoothen out the texture.Make sure that you do not over whip it because ganache can turn grainy,
- The type of chocolate you use also makes a difference to your ganache, whether it is fresh or reheated. Dark, milk and white chocolate have different melting points,
- Dark chocolate is able to withstand slightly higher temperatures.
- Dark chocolate is also the easiest to work with and it is usually considered as the highest quality of chocolate that is perfect for fillings.
- White chocolate makes for a great ganache, it has more oil than it’s darker varieties and requires a higher chocolate-to-cream ratio when making your ganache.
- Milk chocolate is the most common chocolate in most markets and it is readily available plus it is relatively inexpensive, so it’s probably the most popular chocolate to use.
- The type of cream you use will impact how it cools as well as how it reheats. Most ganache is made with heavy cream, which has a high-fat content and makes a rich, creamy and stable ganache.
- Every slight variation you make will result in a different ganache consistency and may reheat thicker or looser than the original recipe.
- Once you understand the practices for reheating ganache, you will not have any trouble figuring out the best option for your recipe.
The Best Way To Store Your Ganache
- You can store your ganache in the fridge or in the freezer,
- Liqueurs, fruits, nuts or other delicacies have an impact on how your ganache freezes as well as how it reheats.
- Liqueur requires needs a much lower temperature to freeze than chocolate or cream and will reheat much quicker.
- Fresh fruit has a high-water content and may throw off the consistency of your ganache when it unthaws, as the frozen water will melt into your mixture. If you want to make extra fruit-filled ganache to freeze, you are better off sing dried fruits.
- If you’re planning to salt your ganache, do this as the last step. If you salt and then freeze or cool your ganache it will blend and enrich the flavour, but it won’t stand out in the same way a burst of solid salt will.
