Campton Place Hot Chocolate
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup cream
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 recipe Master Ganache, recipe follows, using 2 cups cream instead of 1
- 1/2 teaspoon Tia Maria or vanilla extract
- Whipped cream, for serving
- Chocolate shavings, for serving
- Bring the milk, cream, and cocoa powder to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- When it reaches a boil, remove from the heat, and add the ganache.
- Let sit for 1 minute, then stir well until combined, about 4 minutes.
- Stir in the Tia Maria or vanilla.
- Serve the hot chocolate right away as is or store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- It can be reheated easily on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- If you wish, top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
- Can deep, dark, intense, rich, velvety smooth chocolate be a spiritual experience?
- It certainly is heavenly when mixed with cream.
- Praise the pastry angels and pass the bonbons!
- This is the basic ganache recipe.
- Use it for truffles, tarts, fillings, you name it.
- Follow the same technique when adjusting the recipe for firm and soft ganache.
- An alternative food processor method is given, which can be applied to any ganache recipe in this chapter.
- My desire is not only to introduce you to ganache but also to make it a staple in your refrigerator.
- As long as you don't eat it all as a midnight snack, it can be available to help you throw together dessert at a moment's notice.
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Using a serrated knife, finely chop the chocolate into 1/4-inch pieces.
- Don't be lazy here.
- Big chunks will not melt.
- Traditional method: Place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl.
- Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Boiling means the cream will actually rise up in the pan and threaten to boil over.
- Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chopped chocolate.
- Tap the bowl on the counter to settle the chocolate into the cream, then let it sit for 1 minute.
- Using a rubber spatula, slowly stir in a circular motion, starting from the center of the bowl, and working out to the sides.
- Be careful not to add too much air to the ganache.
- Stir until all the chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes.
- It may look done after 1 minute of stirring, but keep going to be sure it's emulsified.
- Food processor method: Place the chopped chocolate in a food processor fitted with the steel blade.
- Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat (or bring to a boil in the microwave.)
- Immediately pour the hot cream into the food processor, on top of the chocolate.
- Let sit for 1 minute, then pulse the machine 3 times.
- Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula and pulse 3 more times, until all the chocolate is melted.
- This smooth, silky chocolate is now ganache.
- Transfer the ganache to a bowl.
- Let the ganache sit at room temperature until it cools to 70 degrees F. In a 65 degree F room, this will take approximately 4 hours or 2 hours in the refrigerator.
- You can speed up the process by pouring the ganache out onto a clean baking sheet (thinner layers cool faster.)
- Once the ganache reaches 70 degrees F, it is ready to be used.
- At this point it can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Yield: 2 cups
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Inactive Prep Time: 2 to 4 hours
- Ease of preparation: Easy
milk, cream, cocoa, recipe master, tia maria, cream, chocolate shavings
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/campton-place-hot-chocolate-recipe.html (may not work)