Pourable chocolate ganache

Ratio decides the texture

Ganache is an emulsion of chocolate fat and cream. The same two ingredients become a glaze, a truffle filling or a frosting depending on how much cream there is for each part of chocolate. The account gives three ratios by weight: one part chocolate to one of cream for thick glazes, fillings and frostings; two parts chocolate to one of cream for fudge-like truffle and tart fillings; and one part chocolate to two parts cream for a thin, pourable sauce.

The pourable version is the one here. Four ounces of chocolate to one cup of cream gives a sauce that can be poured, dipped into, drizzled or whipped, and the account is explicit that the ratio, not the method, is what sets the texture.

Why the cream is cooled before whisking

The cream is heated until it just boils and poured over the chocolate, then the mixture stands for five to ten minutes so the chocolate softens and is covered. The account says to let the mixture cool to 90 to 110 °F (32 to 43 °C) before whisking, because the emulsion forms best in that range. Whisking hot ganache risks a greasy, separated sauce; the account does not describe the failure in detail.

Whisking in one direction builds a smooth, shiny emulsion. The chilling time that follows is set by the use, from about fifteen minutes for a glaze to four hours for a frosting.

Gaps

The account gives no storage note, such as container type or how long the ganache keeps in a refrigerator, and this page does not supply one. The sources consulted did not describe a room-temperature shelf life for ganache, so none is stated.