Ganache
is a French term referring to a smooth mixture of chopped chocolate and
heavy cream. While it is often used as a coating for
tortes and cakes it can also be piped into small candy cups to make these
delicious petit fours. This recipe differs from the traditional
ganache in that it adds finely chopped hazelnuts (can use pecans, walnuts
or almonds) to the cream and chocolate mixture and then each ganache cup
is garnished with a whole toasted nut. They are perfect for the
holiday season as they can be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks
or else frozen. These are best, however, when served at room
temperature..
Now, the taste and quality
of the ganache is primarily dependent on the quality of chocolate you start
with. Remember not all chocolates are the same. Chocolate begins
with the
beans from the tropical tree Theobroma which translates to "Food of
the Gods". There
are three types of cacao beans (Forastero,
Criollo, and Trinitario) and
the type and/or blend of beans, their quality, and where they are grown all
contribute to the quality and taste of the chocolate. Other factors
affecting taste and quality are how the beans are roasted, how the beans are
ground into a mass called chocolate liquor,
how much extra cocoa butter is added to the chocolate liquor, quality and amount
of other ingredients added, and how long the chocolate liquor is conched
(processed). A chocolate with a velvety smooth texture will
produce a ganache that is velvety smooth. However, the most important
point to consider when choosing either a bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate for making
your ganache, is whether you like the chocolate when eaten out of
hand.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
(177 degrees C). Bake the hazelnuts for 10 - 15 minutes or until the skins start
to blister and the nuts are fragrant. Remove from oven and wrap the nuts
in a clean towel and steam for 5 minutes. Rub the towel briskly to remove
the skins. Let cool. Remove 60 hazelnuts to be used as garnish and
then place the remaining cooled hazelnuts in
a food processor and process until finely ground. Set aside.
Coarsely chopped
the chocolate and place in a heatproof bowl.
In a small saucepan bring the
cream to a boil. Immediately, remove from heat and pour over the chopped chocolate.
Gently stir the mixture until smooth and then add the alcohol (or vanilla
extract) and finely ground
hazelnuts. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the mixture until
thick but not solid (about 30 minutes).
Transfer the mixture to a
pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip and pipe the ganache into small candy cups until
they are 3/4 full. Place a toasted hazelnut, pointed end up, on top of
each cup. Chill the ganache cups until they are firm (about 1 hour).
Store in an
airtight container in the refrigerator for several weeks or they can be frozen
for a few months. Best served at room
temperature.
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