I'm not having much luck with the hazelnut ganache. I couldn't find a gianduja coverture in my town, and the giardelli bittersweet chocolate I used was too waxy for my tastes (okay, my mother said it was definitely usuable, but I can't stand the idea of going with less). I did find a nice 100% chocolate liquer baking bar (Chocolove) that produced a ganache with the texture and gloss that I want, but for lack of other ideas for sweetening it I got creative and used a hazelnut coffee/soda syrup which was really just so-so. Any other ideas about how I could make the unsweetened bar work? OR, since I'm leaving for New York City on Monday, can anyone recommend a shop there where I can purchase an affordable, high quality bittersweet chocolate or gianduja?

By momoreg on Sunday, November 21, 1999 - 01:55 am: Edit

How long will you be in NYC? The weekend after
Thanksgiving is a big chocolate show at the
Meropolitan Pavilion. Good place to find what you
seek, and mo

By momoreg on Sunday, November 21, 1999 - 01:55 am: Edit

How long will you be in NYC? The weekend after
Thanksgiving is a big chocolate show at the
Meropolitan Pavilion. Good place to find what you
seek, and more!--------

By Laura Faulkingham on Sunday, November 21, 1999 - 03:28 pm: Edit

I'll be there until the 30th, but unfortunately the chocolate is needed for a groom's cake on Saturday the 27th, so I won't have time to make it to the show. I see that Dean and DeLuca sells Scharfen Bergen Bittersweet, perhaps I'll try that. At this point, I'm giving up on the idea of making the ganache of my dreams and am just hoping no one is paying too much attention!

By momoreg on Sunday, November 21, 1999 - 04:24 pm: Edit

How much do you need? Do you want wholesale or
retail? Did you try the method I suugested, with
the praline paste? I know quite a few New York
area wholesalers that probably carry gianduja, but
I don't know how much you need. Hey, you never
know, D&D probably has it too.----

By Claudia (Claudia) on Sunday, November 21, 1999 - 08:51 pm: Edit

I use french vanilla chocolate from Guittard and have it mail ordered to me from Sahadi's in Brooklyn, NY. They have a store where you can buy chocolate break-up. It melts beautifully, makes a dreamy, dark ganache. Girardelli is just one step above bakers chocolate and is inconsistent in melting.