Try this Chocolate Nutella Ganache recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 0.138337500176269 g
- Cholesterol 6.79291667532215 mg
- Fat 1.83458333567094 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 0.10164583346285 g
- Saturated Fat 1.14200333478846 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (7g)
- Sodium 195.685750002401 mg
- Sugar 0.138337500176269 g
- Trans Fat 0.094605000120545 g
- Calories 20 calories
Step-by-step
- Place the nutella into a medium bowl.
- Heat the cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat.
- Bring just to a boil and pour over the nutella.
- Whisk until smooth.
- Stir in the sea salt and brandy, if desired.
- Let the ganache to cool slightly before pouring over a cake, cupcakes or ice cream.
- If you're using it to top a cake, start at the center and work outward.
Many cooks ruin chocolate spreads by overheating the dairy, scorching the sugars until the mixture seizes into a grainy mass. Heavy cream requires careful thermal management in a heavy-bottomed saucepan to prevent hot spots. Watch the perimeter of the small saucepan closely. Tiny bubbles forming at 212 degrees Fahrenheit signal the correct moment to remove the pan from the burner. Pouring boiling cream directly over the hazelnut spread melts the cocoa butter solids evenly without thermal shock.
Specialized confectionery tools are unnecessary here. A standard stainless steel mixing bowl and a sturdy wire balloon whisk perform the emulsion efficiently. Whisking continuously from the center outward incorporates the fat molecules into the sugar paste without introducing excessive air bubbles. The resulting gloss indicates a stable emulsion has formed between the dairy fats and the nut oils. Stirring in coarse sea salt at this stage creates sharp contrast against the sweet cocoa notes.
Brandy acts as a flavor enhancer rather than a primary solvent. Alcohol suppresses sweetness perception slightly, bringing out the roasted hazelnut characteristics hidden beneath the sugar. Measure the tablespoon precisely because excess liquid can break the emulsion. Let the mixture sit undisturbed for ten minutes until it drops to roughly 90 degrees Fahrenheit. This specific temperature yields a coating consistency thick enough to cling to a spatula yet fluid enough to self-level across a baked surface.
Cooling the spread too quickly in a refrigerator ruins the texture by encouraging cocoa butter to crystallize unevenly. Store unused portions at room temperature under plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Poured over vanilla ice cream, the fat content solidifies into a chewy ribbon that contrasts with the cold dessert. The high sugar content preserves the mixture safely for up to five days without refrigeration.
