Chocolate Ganache In A Pinch

The other day I wanted to make a chocolate ganache to decorate a cake. Basically, as far as I am concerned, there are two ways/two types of chocolate ganache. One is the simple melted chocolate and cream, varying the ratio of chocolate to cream  based on the desired use and using whatever type of chocolate desired. The second way is a mock ganache made from cocoa powder, icing sugar, liquid, fat, and flavoring (cocoa, icing sugar, milk, butter, vanilla, for example) and is more like a chocolate glaze.

I didn't want a ganache as thick and temperamental as the mock ganache, and we had lots of chocolate on hand but no cream. So I invented a new ganache that was beautifully shiny, smooth, sinfully rich, and super easy to make. It is just chocolate and butter melted together over a double broiler. Then remove from heat and temper in a bit more chocolate. I wish I could give a ratio, but I didn't measure, just eyeballed. I can say I used 70% cocoa dark chocolate squares and tempered it carefully to retain the shine, then used it to glaze the top of a cake while it was still warm. It also worked for dipping strawberries to make tuxedo (or chocolate-covered) strawberries.