Master Ganache

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8 ounces bittersweet chocolate

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Using a serrated knife, finely chop chocolate into <0x00BC>-inch pieces. Place chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Immediately pour boiling cream over chopped chocolate. Tap bowl on counter to settle chocolate into cream, then let stand 1 minute. Using a rubber spatula, slowly stir in a circular motion, starting from center of bowl and working out to sides. Be careful not to add too much air to ganache. Stir until all chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes. It may look done after 1 minute of stirring, but keep going to make sure it's emulsified.

Let ganache stand at room temperature until it cools to 70 degrees Fahrenheit (about 15 minutes in a 65-degree room). Speed up the process by pouring ganache out onto a clean baking sheet (thinner layers cool faster), if desired. Once ganache reaches 70 degrees, it is ready to be used. At this point, it can also be covered and stored in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

Yield: About 2 cups.

Source: The Secrets of Baking by Sherry Yard