Ganache, with love

By CATHY THOMAS

Freedom News Service

Valentine's Day: The perfect chance to give a special gift But what is best to give your sweetie's heart a winning lift? Maybe Beluga on a cracker, or baubles rimmed in gold. But fish and funky jewels have a way of getting old. So why not heat some cream and stir in chocolate with panache? A heart's delight will be the prize, a heaven-sent ganache.

By gosh, gah NAHSH.

Well, my poetry isn't prize-winning, but the sentiment is right on target. Ganache — chocolate made remarkably luxurious by mixing it with warm cream — is unapologetic in its decadence.

It seems to capture the spirit of celebration and love, the focal point of a heartfelt gift.

It can be used as a frosting or filling. Or made scoop-ably thick, it stands alone in rich chocolate truffles.

Differing ratios of chocolate to cream produce different degrees of thickness. With a greater proportion of cream, it's loose and more liquidy. A greater proportion of chocolate and it's thicker and denser.

Taste can vary if other components are added to the cream and chocolate, such as liqueurs or strong coffee. Or the cream can be flavored by steeping it with herbs or citrus zest; it is then strained before combining it with chocolate.

As a sauce, it is delectable poured over ice cream, frozen yogurt or angel food cake.

As a filling, it can be cooled for several hours, then whipped until just barely spreadable.

As a frosting, some recipes add a little light corn syrup. Warm and loose, it can be spread over brownies.

As a glaze, cupcake tops can be dipped in it. Or it can be poured over a dense one-layer cake. It creates a glossy glaze, but avoid overmixing because too much stirring diminishes gloss.

As truffles, the chocolate-rich mix is chilled, then scooped and rolled in cocoa powder. I like to boost the flavor profile by augmenting the mixture with red wine. Oh, and some butter.

You can use standard bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (without a percentage on the label or marked 50 percent to 60 percent). I often use the “Pound Plus” Belgian dark chocolate from Trader Joe's (cut into tiny pieces) or semisweet chocolate chips. I prefer using the solid chocolate (finely chopped) rather than chips, because I think it tastes and melts better. But if you don't own a scale to measure by weight, chocolate chips can be measured by volume in measuring cups because they are a standard size (1 cup is 6 ounces).

As for the cream, make sure to use heavy whipping cream and bring it to a boil before pouring it on the finely chopped chocolate (or chips). That means bubbles are starting to form in the middle of the pan — not just around the perimeter; take off heat just before it starts to rise in the pan (but absolutely before it boils over).

Here are some recipes that will make sweet treats for your valentine.

NUTTY THUMBPRINT COOKIES WITH GANACHE

Yield: about 40 1 1/2-inch cookies

1 1/2 cups nuts, see cook's notes

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, cut into small chunks

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 large egg yolk

Flour for dipping finger, if needed

Ganache:

6 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (no more than 60 percent cacao), finely chopped

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Cook's notes: Pecans are classic, but walnuts, blanched almonds or macadamias are delicious, too.

Procedure: Pulse nuts in food processor fitted with metal blade until half of them look pulverized and the rest look chopped. Transfer to bowl and set aside. Wipe the bowl of the processor with a paper towel to remove excess oil from the nuts.

Put sugar in processor and process until fine and powdery. Add flour and salt; pulse just to mix. Add butter, vanilla and egg yolk. Process until mixture looks damp and begins to clump together. Add nuts and pulse just until combined. Transfer dough to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Shape slightly more than level tablespoons of dough into 1 1/4-inch balls (this requires squeezing the dough together rather than rolling). Place cookies 2 inches apart on prepared sheets. Dip handle of wooden spoon or finger in flour and press it into each ball to form a depression. Bake 22 to 24 minutes or until lightly colored on top and golden brown on bottom. Rotate sheets from top to bottom and from front to back halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking.

Let cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to rack to cool completely.

Prepare ganache: Put chocolate in heatproof bowl. Bring cream to boil in heavy saucepan. Pour hot cream over chopped chocolate. Stir until all chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Cool ganache at room temperature (without stirring) until thick. Spoon or pipe into depressions on top of cookies (I like to use a large star tip on my pastry bag — and I am generous with the ganache.) If ganache is chilled or hardens too much, set the bowl in a larger bowl of hot water until pipeable or spoonable.

Nutrition information (per cookie): 120 calories (88 percent from fat), 11.7 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 3 mg cholesterol, 4 g carbohydrates, 1.2 g protein, 90 mg sodium, 0.7 g fiber

Source: adapted from “Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cookies” by Alice Medrich (Artisan, $25.95)

CHOCOLATE GANACHE SAUCE

Yield: 1 cup

6 ounces finely chopped semisweet chocolate or 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier

Procedure: Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring cream to a boil in heavy saucepan. Pour hot cream over chocolate. Stir gently until all chocolate melts. Add vanilla and liqueur; stir to combine. Pour over ice cream, frozen yogurt or angel food cake. If ganache hardens too much, set the bowl in a larger bowl of hot water until pipeable or spoonable

Nutrition information (per tablespoon): 90 calories (89 percent from fat), 8.9 g fat, 4.5 g saturated fat, 5mg cholesterol, 4 g carbohydrates, 0.5 g protein, 21 mg sodium, 0.1 g fiber

CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE CUPCAKES WITH CHOCOLATE BLENDER GANACHE

Yield: 22 to 24 cupcakes

24 cupcake liners for cupcake pans (2 1/2-inch size)

2 milk chocolate bars (1.55 ounces each, such as Hershey's)

1 package (1 8.5 ounces) fudge cake mix (such as Betty Crocker Super Moist Chocolate Fudge)

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, must be room temperature, see cook's notes

1/2 cup warm water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Creamy Chocolate Blender Ganache (or see recipe for ganache glaze):

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1/2 cup evaporated milk

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Cook's notes: To bring cream cheese to room temperature, remove from refrigerator an hour before baking, OR unwrap and place in microwave safe bowl; microwave about 20 seconds on high power.

Procedure: Place rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Set aside.

Break chocolate bars into quarters and stack them on top of each other. Slice down the short end of the stack with a sharp knife. You will have about 1 cup of 1/4-inch shavings. Set aside.

In large bowl of electric mixer, place cake mix, cream cheese, water, oil, eggs and vanilla. Mix on low speed 30 seconds. Scrape sides and bottom. Increase speed to medium and mix 2 more minutes, scraping down sides as needed. The batter should be smooth. Fold in chocolate. Spoon or scoop 1/3 cup batter into each lined cup, filling it three quarters full. (I used a 1/3 cup ice cream scoop.)

Bake until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 20 to 23 minutes. There may be some shallow cracks. Don't worry, the frosting will cover them. Remove pans from oven and place on wire rack to cool 5 minutes. 5. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners, lift cupcakes up using the end of the knife and pick up carefully with your fingertips. Place on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes before frosting. Meanwhile, prepare the blender ganache, or ganache glaze.

For blender ganache, place chocolate chips in a small glass bowl and melt them in microwave on high power for 1 minute. Stir vigorously. If they aren't melted, microwave 20 to 30 seconds more and stir to melt. Place in blender. Add evaporated milk and vanilla. Blend on high speed until frosting is thick and glossy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Pour into a bowl and let it sit on the counter for 20 minutes to thicken. (I found that it was thick enough right away.) To frost, place a heaping tablespoon of frosting on each cupcake and spread it out with the back of a spoon, taking care to cover the top completely. Store in cake saver or under a glass dome at room temperature up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Nutrition information (per cupcake): 246 calories (80 percent from fat), 21.8 g fat, 5.1 g saturated fat, 50 mg cholesterol, 1 4 g carbohydrates, 5.5 g protein, 265 mg sodium, 0.3 g fiber

Source: adapted from “Cupcakes! From the Cake Mix Doctor” by Anne Byrn (Workman, $ 13.95)

CABERNET TRUFFLES

Yield: about 12 to 14

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature

2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup cabernet sauvignon

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Cook's notes: Truffles can be stored in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 1 week. Allow cold truffles to sit at room temperature 20 minutes before serving.

Procedure: Melt chocolate in top of double boiler set over pan of hot water. Remove from heat. Add butter and cream; stir until smooth. Stir in wine. Transfer to 8-inch nonstick loaf pan; cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 1/2 hours or until firm.

Place cocoa powder in small bowl or pie pan.

Remove chocolate mixture from refrigerator and shape into small balls, about 1 inch in diameter, using small end of melon baller. To make shaping easier, dip melon baller in hot water before and between shaping. Arrange balls on plate and refrigerate 2-3 minutes or until firm and dry. Drop truffles into cocoa and roll around to coat completely. Repeat until all chocolate is used. Refrigerate in airtight container.

Nutritional information (per truffle): 198 calories (68 percent from fat), 15.4 g fat, 2.5 g protein, 16.7 g carbohydrates, no fiber, 1 8 mg cholesterol; 1 6 mg sodium; 14 mg calcium

Source: “The Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley Cookbook'” by Dolores and Jack Cakebread with Brian Streeter (Ten Speed Press, $35)

GANACHE GLAZE

Yield: 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups

8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces, see cook's notes

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream

Cook's notes: You can use standard bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (without a percentage on the label or marked 50 percent to 60 percent). I often use the “Pound Plus” Belgian chocolate from Trader Joe's (cut into tiny pieces) or semisweet chocolate chips. Procedure: 1. Place chocolate in heatproof bowl. Bring cream to simmer and immediately pour over chocolate. Stir briskly until chocolate melts and is smooth. Mixture should be about 90 to 1 00 degrees. If it's too hot, let it sit a little while. Invert cooled cupcakes into glaze and turn over slowly.

Nutrition information (per tablespoon): 60 calories (85 percent from fat), 5.6 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 2 g carbohydrates, 0.5 g protein, 80 mg sodium, 0.1 g fiber

Source: adapted from “Bittersweet” by Alice Medrich (Artisan, $35)