Beyond basic tempering, chocolate work encompasses ganache (the foundation of truffles, tart fillings, and glazes), mousse (aerated ganache or chocolate crème), enrobing (coating centres in tempered chocolate), and decorative work (curls, shards, piping, moulded shapes). Ganache is an emulsion of chocolate and cream — the ratio determines the application: equal parts for truffles (firm and rollable when cold), 2:1 cream to chocolate for pourable glaze, 3:1 chocolate to cream for firm tart filling. Understanding ganache as an emulsion — not just 'melted chocolate with cream' — is the key to consistent, professional results.
Ganache: chop chocolate finely and evenly. Heat cream to just below boiling. Pour hot cream over chocolate, let sit 1 minute, then stir from the centre outward in small circles, gradually incorporating the chocolate into the cream. This builds the emulsion the same way a vinaigrette is built — slowly incorporating the fat phase into the water phase. The mixture should be smooth, glossy, and homogeneous. If it splits (looks grainy or oily), it's either too hot or the ratio is wrong — add a tablespoon of warm cream and stir vigorously to re-emulsify. For mousse: fold whipped cream or whipped egg whites into slightly warm (35-40°C) ganache — the chocolate must be warm enough to be fluid but cool enough not to melt the foam.
The ratio rule: 1:1 (chocolate:cream by weight) for truffles, 2:1 for firm tart filling, 1:2 for pourable glaze. Adjusting ratio by 10% either direction gives you control over firmness. For truffles: let 1:1 ganache set at room temperature until firm enough to scoop, roll into balls, then coat — in cocoa powder, tempered chocolate, or chopped nuts. For the smoothest ganache: use an immersion blender to emulsify instead of a spatula — the mechanical shearing creates a tighter, more stable emulsion. Add butter (10% of chocolate weight) at 35°C for extra gloss and a melt-in-the-mouth texture.
Pouring boiling cream directly onto chocolate and stirring immediately — the cream must sit for 1 minute to melt the chocolate before stirring. Stirring too aggressively at the start — this breaks the forming emulsion. Using chocolate with less than 55% cacao for ganache — too much sugar destabilises the emulsion. Adding cold cream to rescue a split ganache — use warm cream. Folding mousse base that's too hot into whipped cream — it melts the foam. Storing ganache in the fridge uncovered — it absorbs odours and dries out. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface.