Does anyone out there regularly use Callebaut chocolate? I find that using cream to chocolate ratios given in most ganache recipes often fail with Callebaut - they always turn out too stiff and thick . . . it doesn't seem to matter whether I am using bittersweet, milk or white chocolate - all are very dense when melted.

I know I can add more cream but has anyone ever devised an actual ratio for it? I am looking for a silky smooth finish.

Any thoughts/ideas would be appreciated.

By W.DeBord on Wednesday, January 24, 2001 - 08:39 am: Edit

Actually what you've written doesn't make sense to me. If your ganche is too thick because of your brand of chocolate then your chocolate would be effecting EVERY other item you made with it. You'd have flat cakes and hard mousse.


The only thing that can make sense is your not finding good ganche recipes or you really want a chocolate mirror or glaze not a ganache. Not all recipes are wonderful!

Try this:

1 c. heavy cream
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. sugar

brought to a boil, pour into:

12 oz. semi sweet

White chocolate ganache would be twice the amount of chocolate to liquid. Bittersweet ganche would be the same as the semi (although I replace 4 oz. of the dark choc. for white choc. in my bittersweet).

I get all of my ganche recipes from Marcel Deslaniers (You'd think I could spell his name by now) books. If you don't like the one I've posted continue trying other ganche recipes from him, I promise their good (and they have to work with your chocolate)!

By Rubble (Rubble) on Wednesday, January 24, 2001 - 02:30 pm: Edit

DESAULNIERS

...for the record ;)

By d. on Wednesday, January 24, 2001 - 02:52 pm: Edit

I use only Callebaut and the formula is equal weight of bittersweet or semi sweet chocolate to equal weight heavy cream(or you can replace 25 % of cream with butter). This produces a firm ganache for glazing, fillings and to top brownies. I have found out that when I use the Callebaut calets instead of the block, my ganache is thicker. The calets seems to be a bit more viscous.

By W.DeBord on Thursday, January 25, 2001 - 09:07 am: Edit

Thanks Rubble...I'll try to get it right one of these times. sorry

By momoreg on Thursday, January 25, 2001 - 04:52 pm: Edit

I use Callebaut 835, and my formula is 7# 8- chocolate, to 3 1/2 qt. cream. Perfect every time. Callebaut has a few different semi and bittersweet varieties. I've tried this formula with their 60/40, and it was way too firm.

By Joal on Thursday, January 25, 2001 - 05:15 pm: Edit

Momoreg--I've had the same experience with Callebaut. Unfortunately we in the USA only receive a small fraction of what's available in Europe from Callebaut NV and Cocoa Barry. My experience and the data from Callebaut USA indicates that that fraction tends to fall on the more viscous side of the distribution of chocolates available in the USA.