Help! Why did this happen?

C

cindy

Well-known member
I've made this ganache several times, but this time it curdled. The only thing different was the kind of chips, and that I am bringing the cake to a fancy dinner.

I used 8oz. ghiradelli 60% chocolate chips

1/2 cup cream 1 teaspoon espresso powder

melted over a double boiler.

It is a greasy lumpy mess! Could it be that the chips have too high of a fat content?

I'm so sad. If this were not for a party I'm sure it would have turned out beautifully!

 
If you have more ingredients try bringing the cream to a simmer...

add the espresso powder, pour over the chocolate chips and then cover the bowl with plastic wrap for 5 minutes. Then whisk the mixture. This works for me.

 
Yes. Different brands act differently. I sympathize--it always seems to happen when there is more at

stake. Like appliances and plumbing going out just as guests are arriving.

I second Michael's suggestion, if you still have some chocolate and cream left.

 
I agree with Michael - it shouldn't make any difference. I've used Ghirardelli chips and

baking bars for years, and have never had a problem - they always yield smooth, creamy results. Plus, their flavor is so much better than Nestle's!

Is it possible the water was simmering/boiling too vigorously and maybe a little bit got into the chocolate?

 
Have you tried letting it cool a good bit and adding more chocolate?

Most of the time you can bring them back together.

Or make a small amount with more chocolate and cream and then gradually add the broken mixture.

 
I should have tried this, but I already made it again with Michael's technique

with the other chips and it turned out fine, I have no idea what I did wrong the first time. Could it have been too hot? I really don't think any water got in, but maybe it did.
Thank you for your help.

 
It's typically what happens if you accidently get water into the mixture, and

It only takes a tiny amount of water for it to end up like a mush.

 
I agree with Michael's solution and found if the chocolate get too hot, the fat will "ooze" out.

I don't think the fat is an issue, because you can apply various ratios of chocolate:to:cream and most will work out. And I've used some very high fat chocolates and not seen this happen. But since you used chips and those are tempered differently, that may be an issue.

Your description is exactly what happens when "cold" cream or liquid (like adding a few TBL of liquor) are added to the hot melted chocolate, but I don't see how that happened using a double-boiler.

 
It could have been the cream. Or, what type of instrument did you stir it with? Wooden spoon?

Spatula? Wooden spoons trap moisture and even heat proof spatulas get nicks in them that hold the tiny amount of water -- enough to make chocolate seize.

 
Iused a heat proof spatula, so maybe that was the problem.

But after reading Marilyn's post I'm thinking it was too hot, because the fat was definitely oozing out.
Just when you think you have a recipe down pat, it goes south (but only if you are taking it to a fancy party).

 
Fat oozing = too hot? That makes sense. There's a great book called

The Checklist and it talks about how we become so familiar with a process that things get overlooked. I've run into this when I make a favorite sure-thing recipe and bam! It all goes sideways.

On the cream aspect, I've talked with folks who have had it curdle in coffee, etc. We went out and bought another brand and tried the same coffee, no curdle. Sometimes you get a bad batch of milk. Not that it's bad to drink but something gets affected at the cellular level. I don't know much about the science side, but it's interesting

 
Did you heat it over barely simmering water, and remove the chocolate as soon as it was melted? Did

you stir it often?

 
From reading these posts I know I did about 20 things wrong smileys/bigwink.gif

From now on I am only making ganache Michael's way.
Who knew so many things could go wrong!

 
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