Traditional Chocolate Ganache

For this traditional-style ganache, we use all dark chocolate to offset the sweetness of the macaron cookie shell. The finished product is a deliciously bittersweet, creamy filling that's perfect for macarons. Ganache is a velvety-smooth emulsion typically made from chocolate and cream, in a ratio between one-to-one and one-to-two. The higher the fraction of chocolate, the firmer the ganache will be.

Generally speaking, an emulsion is a mixture of two incompatible liquids, such as oil and water, that won't dissolve into each other when mixed. The result is usually a thick, creamy liquid, where the oil in the mixture is dispersed in tiny droplets into the water, blocking the water from moving freely. Milk is perhaps the most common emulsion, made of milk fat and water. Ganache, on the other hand, is made up of water from the cream; and oil from the cocoa butter. 

You'll notice, however, that milk is liquid when cool, while ganache is solid when cool. The difference is that butterfat in milk remains mostly liquid even when cold, while cocoa butter solidifies once it cools below body temperature. The solidified cocoa fat gives ganache its firm, unctuous texture, as well as its melt-in-your-mouth appeal. It might seem like an easy recipe; after all, a ganache can be as simple as just two ingredients: cream and chocolate. But this simplicity belies the craft of preparing a decadent ganache. Slow and steady, being mindful of temperature, is the way to success.