if you had a lot of leftover chocolate ganache...

...what would you do with it?

i have about 3-4 solid cups (before whipping, so i guess it'll be more like 6-7 once i beat it) of really good bittersweet chocolate ganache. i quadrupled a recipe for something i made over the weekend, but i way overestimated how much i'd need. and now i have more ganache than i can imagine using. ever. but i really don't want to throw it away.

anyone have any really good, interesting (and preferably not too complicated) recipes that would help me make use of my bounty?

and/or, anyone know how well this stuff will freeze?

thanks!

[Hank Hanover]

You could make some of these truffle tarts. Here is a link to a Tyler Florence recipe. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ty...

[Hank Hanover]

Add a spoon full of it to your hot chocolate or even your coffee. I would freeze all but a cup or so of it and keep that in the fridge to use as ice cream topping or whatever.

Stealing a spoon full of it every once in a while isn't a bad thing. This is an emergency! You don't want it to go bad. :)

[The Drama Queen]

I just frosted cupcakes a few days ago and had ganache leftover so I mixed it with lots of dried cranberries and coarsely chopped walnuts then spread it out on a cookie sheet to about 1/4 inch. Set in the fridge to cool and harden and you have the best dark chocolate bark. Just break it into pieces. It works best with just plain melted chocolate but this works well too.

[mattstolz]

theres a such thing as leftover chocolate ganache?

alton brown did a episode of good eats on ganache and he froze it into fudge pops

[rtms]

it's delicious on french toast.

could it be repurposed into a frozen dessert?....whipping cream and chocolate is practically ice cream custard

thanks to all of you for your wonderfully delicious and inspired (and practical!) ideas.

seriously, chowhounds are an amazingly resourceful and delightful bunch with whom to swap ideas. i wish i could share with y'all a plate of whatever i end up making.

in case anybody is curious, i'm gonna throw it in the freezer (well, what's left of it after a few spoonfuls have somehow disappeared) 'cuz we're going to arizona for a bit, but upon my return i will definitely be trying some of your ideas out. i'll post about any successes.

thanks again.

I make truffles with the left over. Take a small amount, roll it in a ball and the options are endless. Sift cocao powder, roll in ground nuts, add a bit of orange/lemon rind grated. I sometimes add a whole hazelnut/dried cranberry to the center and then a coating.

I made truffles for Christmas out of ganache that had a little bit of cranberry juice (the REAL unsweetened stuff), dried cranberries and pecans. They went FAST.

Have fun in Arizona - let us know what you do!

Yes, it will freeze just fine. I pretty much always have ganache in my freezer. It keeps for months.

I second the truffle suggestion, though be aware that if you don't coat in tempered chocolate, you should keep them refrigerated. Oh, and people don't usually beat the ganache for truffles.

You can glaze a cake with ganache.

You can sandwich cookies together with ganache.

You can write Happy Birthday on buttercream with ganache.

You can fill a cake with whipped ganache and then glaze it with melted ganache.

You can pipe little rosettes of ganache on anything that strikes your fancy. Brownies. Meringues. Cakes.

You can pour ganache over ice cream.

You can put ganache in jars, label them "Chocolate Ice Cream Topping" and give them to friends.

You can pour a layer of ganache at the bottom of a pecan pie.

Ganache is your friend.

A quick ganache party trick that everyone seems to like - chocolate pate. Melt ganache. Flavor with appropriate booze. Stir in chopped nuts - hazelnuts with Fra Angelico is good, but you could go with pistachios, or almonds with Amaretto. You can add some whole nuts to the mix to make it look snazzy. You can even add chopped white chocolate, as long as you wait until the ganache is cool enough, but still runny. Pour into a loaf pan that you've lined with parchment. Freeze it. Unmold. Decorate with nuts or piped ganache or both. Serve at room temp with cookies, slices of pound cake, a nice white bread, and a knife. Oh, if you wanted to mix in some nut butter, you could do that too. This looks fab and tastes great, of course, and takes almost no effort.

Oh, and I've known people to whip ganache, then fold in whipped cream for a fake chocolate mousse. I can't say as I approve, because I don't think it begins to replicate the mouthfeel of the real thing, but lots of people like it and it's certainly easy.

You can also cover your lucky Valentine in chocolate! :-P

[yettevan]

AWESOME reply. Thank you for this. I am about to freeze a couple cups worth for a cake I'll make later. (Martha stewart had me make twice as much as is required fore this little recipe http://www.marthastewart.com/256404/i... )

[yettevan]

AWESOME reply. Thank you for this. I am about to freeze a couple leftover cups worth for a cake I'll make later. (Martha stewart had me make twice as much as is required fore this little recipe http://www.marthastewart.com/256404/i... )

[visciole]

Yeah, I froze a few cups of ganache once and discovered only too quickly that scooping it straight out of the container with a spoon was pretty darn good, and within a few days that stuff was history...

Frosting for banana cake, you could make Toba Garret's chocolate buttercream and freeze it (I think her recipe says it can be frozen although I have not done it), it could be the center for molten chocolate cakes.

chocolate mousse
filling for cream puffs
chocolate ice cream
frosting for cupcakes
glaze for cheesecake
chocolate fondue

I would probably dip graham crackers in it, straight out of the fridge. :)

You could make chocolate truffles - just scoop the ganache, dust your hands with corn starch and roll them into balls, dust with cocoa powder (or coat with tempered chocolate if you want the hard outer shell). I just wrap them in tin foil (for the hard chocolated shell coated ones) or put them in mini muffin cups/candy cups and put them in a box/bag and give them to friends.

I had a cake yesterday that had a layer of ganache between 2 chocolate cake layers and it was amazing...you could even use vanilla cake if you're a little chocolated out.

perhaps you could try making macaroons? they aren't that difficult to attempt, and the ganache will provide a nice filling. i don't have my recipe on hand, but i will try to give a brief outline and maybe you will find something similar in a cookbook or on the internet. i beat egg whites until they hold firm peaks and then fold in a mixture of almond flour, cocoa powder, and confectioner's sugar. this bakes in the oven for about 20 minutes, and when they come out you can let them cool and then assemble.

I also would like to know of a good recipe or the possibility of freezing it, but I'm afraid at my house, it would be eaten with a big spoon directly from the bowl. We have no willpower.

Eating it with a spoon was my thought as well.

It should freeze pretty well, though.

My thought was HIDING it, and then eating it with a spoon.