Sure, sure, a box of chocolates for Mom is nice, but we’ve been there and have done that. Surprise Mom with a new kind of chocolate. Whip up a big batch of this Basil-Lemon White Chocolate Ganache and drizzle it over an impressive tiered cake, a simple pound cake loaf, cookies and more.
Anna Martinez, head chocolatier at Temper Chocolates, inside of the well-loved Denver Central Market, created this recipe to fill their dark and milk chocolate bonbons. It’s rich and creamy, but also simultaneously bright. This white chocolate ganache is well balanced and can be used for so many more things than just filling chocolates.
If you’re not a ganache-making pro, don’t worry, it’s super easy to make. For first-timers, Anna suggests using an immersion blender to ensure the finished ganache is nice and smooth. Make sure the cream is hot enough to melt the chocolate (but not boiling) then stir the chocolate mixture until it’s a smooth and velvety texture and finish it off with the immersion blender.
Try drizzling this ganache, while still warm, over slices of pound cake and fresh berries garnished with a sprig of basil. Or, enrobe a tiered lemon cake in the ganache for some serious decadence. Or, bake up some thinly rolled shortbread cookies and sandwich a layer of ganache between two. Also, we’re sure Mom would not be upset about a stack of pancakes served to her in bed with a side of warm white chocolate ganache for drizzling. Get creative! Anna’s favorite use for leftover ganache from Temper is to pour it into a tart shell and then serve it with whipped cream and fresh fruit. She also loves to warm the ganache and use it as an easy fondue sauce.
See Also
Cooking the Magazines: Butternut Squash, Sage and Ricotta Crostini
If you’re in the Denver area and looking for a superb box of chocolates for Mom, head to Temper Chocolates. They’re well-crafted and anything but the usual boring box of chocolates. Anna is planning on gifting Temper’s special Mother’s Day Box with flavors including rose and elderflower, mimosa, honey lavender, rosemary, passion fruit and blood orange chai to her own Mom, Grandma, and Sister-in-Law this year. Lucky ladies!
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Basil-Lemon White Chocolate Ganache
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At Temper Chocolates and Confections, we use this delicious ganache as a filling for bon bons, but it may also be used to fill and frost cakes, cupcakes, cream puffs, and many other tasty desserts.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 large lemon
- 5–6 leaves fresh basil
- 110 grams heavy cream
- 45 grams glucose
- 245 grams white chocolate (at Temper Chocolates and Confections, I use Cacao Barry white chocolate)
Instructions
- Zest and juice entire lemon. Set lemon juice (40grams) and zest aside.
- Weigh out the cream into a medium saucepan. Add basil and heat mixture until it comes to a simmer. As soon as it comes to a simmer, remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes.
- Weigh out white chocolate into a medium sized mixing bowl.
- Strain the basil cream mixture with a fine mesh strainer into another medium saucepan. Add glucose to the mixture.
- Heat cream and glucose mixture until simmering, stirring continuously. Remove from heat as soon as mixture comes to a simmer.
- Pour half of cream and glucose mixture over the white chocolate in the mixing bowl. Let ingredients sit for 1 minute allowing chocolate to melt. Then stir until the cream is thoroughly incorporated into the chocolate. Add remaining cream and glucose mixture and continue stirring until shiny and smooth.
- Add lemon juice and incorporate with an immersion blender.
- For additional lemon flavor, add lemon zest to taste.
- Refrigerate if not using ganache immediately. Bring to room temperature when ready to use.
