How to make the perfect ganache: Juliette's recipe

Two ingredients. One bowl. One spoon. On paper, ganache is one of the simplest preparations there is. And yet, how many of us have stood in front of a bowl where the chocolate has split, the texture has gone grainy, and the result looks nothing like what we had in mind?

The truth is that a great ganache rests on two things: understanding what's actually happening (an emulsion, nothing more) and following a few very simple rules. Today we're sharing Juliette Brun's dark chocolate ganache, taken from her book Mon Année Chocolat, along with the principles that separate an ordinary ganache from one that's absolutely silky.

First: what is a ganache, exactly?

At its core, ganache is an emulsion between melted chocolate and a fatty liquid, usually cream or milk. It's that meeting, done right, that gives you the smooth, glossy, silky texture we all want.

Depending on the proportions and the type of liquid, ganache can do a thousand things:

• A pourable sauce for desserts and ice cream
• A glossy glaze for cakes and entremets
• A filling for tarts, macarons and chocolate bonbons
• A firm base for rolling truffles

It's all a question of ratio.

The ratio rule

The more chocolate you use compared to liquid, the firmer the ganache. The more liquid, the more fluid. That's the foundation. Three reference points to keep in mind:

• Pourable ganache (sauce, glaze): less chocolate relative to liquid, and often milk instead of cream for a lighter result.
• Filling ganache (tarts, macarons): roughly one part chocolate to one part cream.
• Firm ganache (truffles): about two parts chocolate to one part cream.

The type of liquid matters too. Cream brings richness and structure, while milk delivers fluidity and lightness. And the cocoa percentage of the chocolate plays a role: a bold dark chocolate will soak up more liquid than a milk chocolate.

Juliette's Passionately Dark Chocolate Ganache

This is a pourable ganache, designed to nap, glaze and accompany. It's taken from Mon Année Chocolat, Juliette Brun's recipe book, and it's the one we love using for profiteroles, on a chocolate tart, or over a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Yield: about 125 ml (½ cup) Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 90 g (⅓ cup + ¼ cup) of 65% dark chocolate, chopped
• 60 ml (¼ cup) milk

Method:

1. Place the dark chocolate in a bowl.
2. In a saucepan over low heat, warm the milk until it just begins to simmer.
3. Pour the milk over the chocolate and let it sit for a few minutes, until the chocolate melts.
4. Using a spatula, gently stir the mixture starting from the centre, working outward, to emulsify it and create a smooth, glossy ganache.

Good to know: the ganache keeps for up to 3 days in the fridge. To use it again, reheat in the microwave in short bursts, stirring well between each one, until it returns to a pourable texture.

The secrets to a smooth, glossy ganache

Four details make all the difference between an average ganache and a perfect one.

A good chocolate. That's where it starts. A chocolate rich in cocoa butter melts better and creates a far silkier emulsion. Our bittersweet 55% dark chocolate drops are perfect for this ganache: they melt quickly, with no chopping needed, and deliver a smooth result every single time. For a bolder version, closer to Juliette's original recipe, choose a slightly more intense dark chocolate.

A warm liquid, not a boiling one. You want milk (or cream) that's just at a simmer. Past that, you risk shocking the chocolate and turning the ganache grainy. A simmer is that moment when small bubbles start appearing at the edges, without the liquid bubbling all over.

Patience. Once the milk is poured over the chocolate, you wait. A few minutes during which the heat does its work. Stirring too early is the surest way to break the emulsion.

The right gesture. You stir gently, starting from the centre and widening the circles bit by bit. That's exactly what Juliette's recipe calls for, and it isn't a small detail: it's the motion that lets the emulsion form properly, from the heart outward.

If your ganache splits, don't panic

A ganache can break: it goes oily, grainy, or separates. It's almost always an emulsion that hasn't taken. The good news is that you can usually fix it.

Pour a tablespoon of warm milk (or cream) into the ganache and stir gently, always starting from the centre. Repeat if needed. The warmth and added liquid will restart the emulsion. An immersion blender is also a great ally here: it homogenizes the mixture without adding air.

Adapting the ganache to your taste

Once you've nailed the base, all kinds of doors open.

For a firmer ganache (to fill tarts or pipe as a filling): swap the milk for 35% whipping cream in the same proportions.

For truffles: increase the chocolate to roughly two parts chocolate to one part cream.

For milk or white chocolate ganache: raise the chocolate ratio, since these varieties contain less cocoa and more milk fat. Our 34% milk chocolate drops and our 28% white chocolate drops work beautifully here.

To flavour: stir in, at the very end, a splash of liqueur (Grand Marnier, Bailey's, rum), a teaspoon of extract, some citrus zest, or steep spices (cinnamon, cardamom, star anise) or coffee in the hot milk before straining.

What to do with your ganache

Once mastered, this ganache becomes the secret weapon of countless desserts:

• Pour over profiteroles or cream puffs
• Glaze a chocolate tart
• Drizzle over a warm brownie (yes, really)
• Pour over a scoop of vanilla ice cream
• Spread on crêpes
• Fill a rolled cake

If the idea of working your way through a parade of chocolate desserts sounds good, Mon Année Chocolat is full of recipes that put this ganache to work, from profiteroles to an unapologetic dark chocolate tart, plus plenty of other surprises.

Going further

• Juliette's books: Mon Année Chocolat and Les Brownies de Juliette, both in the Recipe Books by Juliette collection.
• Our bittersweet 55% dark chocolate drops, our go-to for ganaches.
• Our dark chocolate bar, for those who prefer working from a bar to break up.
• Our guide How to melt chocolate (without ruining it), to nail the first step every time.

All our chocolates and books are available online (free shipping on orders of $99 and up, across Canada), in our restaurants, and at the boutique of our Chocolate Workshop in Greenfield Park, on Montreal's South Shore.

One last thing: ganache, like everything in the kitchen, comes with practice. Mess up one or two. Eat the "failed" one straight off the spoon, no judgment here. Then start over. The next one will be perfect.