ganache
Two weeks ago when I posted a picture of all the tomatoes, potatoes, onions, and garlic that we’d be using in classes, a loyal follower asked to see a picture of what my refrigerator looked like at the start of classes. I said, “Oh no you don’t!” I assured her that it was so full, that one had to worry about things falling out when opening the door, and that my extra freezer in the laundry room was so full that I had to use duct tape to ensure that it would keep closed – embarrassing but true! But she insisted that she would enjoy seeing the fridge, so I told her I’d post a picture before the next set of classes… the day has come…ouch!
Above is the new set of tomatoes, potatoes, citrus, and friends and below……. is the fridge – don’t judge, it’s my job. And you will never see a picture of the duct-taped freezer, and that’s final!
Yes, the drawers have been over-filled so many times, that they no longer have usable tracks to run on. They are currently so full that you couldn’t fit a tiny jalapeno into any one of them right now!
Now on to prettier and tastier things…
Ganache (pronounced /gah NAHSH/) is a rich mixture of chocolate and cream which can be used as a frosting or filling. Depending on the intended use, different ratios of chocolate to cream are used, to create anything from a light glaze to a dense and rich chocolate truffle. Although ganache is exceedingly luxurious, it is what I like to call “easy-breezy” to make! Ganache was developed in the mid-1800s, and both France and Switzerland claim credit for the invention.
To make ganache, heavy cream is brought to the boiling point and then poured over chunks of chocolate. The mixture sits for a moment, then is whisked or stirred until the chocolate melts and is completely incorporated into the cream. Adding butter or oil to the ganache will make it highly glossy, and adding liqueurs, coffee, or other flavorings is often desired, depending on its intended use.
Using one part of cream for every three parts of chocolate will result in a chocolate glaze which can be used as a chocolate frosting. Using one part of cream with two parts of chocolate yields a very rich, dense chocolate filling which can be used in truffles and other candied desserts.
Chocolate Ganache Wontons
Ganache
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
6 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
Wontons
24 wonton wrappers
1 large egg, lightly beaten
5 cups vegetable oil
Powdered sugar for dusting
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream
Ganache: Bring cream and butter to a boil in a 1-quart saucepan. Pour hot cream over chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and let stand 1 minute. Whisk until smooth, then chill, covered, until firm, about 1 hour.
Wontons: Lightly brush 1 side of each of 12 wonton wrappers with beaten egg, then put 1 tablespoon of chocolate ganache in the center of each. Fold filled wontons in half to form triangles, pressing gently around the filling to eliminate any air bubbles and sealing edges with more egg, if needed. (If there are any pockets of air, wontons may burst when fried.)
Make 12 more wontons in the same manner. Place all on a wax-paper-lined tray and freeze-filled wontons until firm, about 20 minutes.
Heat oil in a 4-quart heavy saucepan or deep-fryer over moderate heat until it registers 365 degrees on a deep-fat thermometer. Fry wontons, 3 or 4 at a time, turning once, until golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes total. Transfer with tongs or a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Return oil to 365 degrees between batches.
Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm wontons with ice cream.
Makes 24
4 comments
And I can vouch for how full your refrigerator is, just normally. I can’t imagine how you get anything more in it for classes. Cute!
Mom, I know, I’m a magician!
You are a very powerful magician!
Indeed!
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