Four Fantastic Ways to Use Ganache

• Place the chopped dark chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour the heavy cream and corn syrup into a small saucepan and place the pan over medium heat. Bring the cream to a simmer, and once small bubbles appear all along the sides of the pan, pour it over the chopped chocolate in the bowl.
• Let the hot cream soften the chocolate for one minute, then gently whisk them together, until all of the chocolate is melted and your ganache is smooth and shiny.
• Add the room temperature butter and whisk it into the ganache until incorporated. Press a layer of cling wrap directly on top of the ganache and let it sit until it reaches room temperature. Once at room temperature, it can be refrigerated for later use. The ganache will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

To Make the Tart Dough:

• Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse briefly until everything is well-blended. Add the cold cubed butter and pulse until it is in small pea-sized pieces. Add the egg yolk and pulse in long 5-second bursts until the dough starts clumping together.
• Turn the dough out of the food processor and knead it lightly several times to incorporate any extra flour. At this point, the dough can be wrapped and refrigerated for several days. If you’re ready to use it now, spray five 6-inch tart pans with removable bottoms with nonstick cooking spray.
• Press the dough in an even layer into the bottom and sides of the pans. Freeze the shells for 30 minutes, and while they’re in the freezer, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray the tops of the tart dough with nonstick spray, then press sheets of foil onto the shells, shiny side down, and fill the foil with dry beans, rice, or pie weights.
• Bake the tart shells for about 15 minutes, until the sides start to take on a little color and the center no longer looks raw, then carefully remove the foil and weights. Bake for an additional 6-8 minutes, until the shells are golden brown. Let them cool completely before filling.

To Assemble:

• Spoon a layer of salted caramel sauce into the bottom of each baked and cooled tart shell. Refrigerate the shells for 20 minutes to chill the caramel sauce.
• Heat the ganache in short 15-second increments, whisking gently after every 15 seconds so it doesn’t overheat. Warm it up until it flows freely—it doesn’t need to be hot, just liquid enough to pour easily. Pour the warm ganache on top of the caramel in the tart shells, and tap the tarts against the countertop a few times to smooth out the tops. Refrigerate the tarts for at least an hour, to set the ganache. Before serving, top the tarts with decorations like cookies, chocolate curls, or gold leaf. Let them sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving, for the best taste and texture.

• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Scoop 8 balls of chilled ganache into truffle shapes, and place them on a plate in the refrigerator. Soften the remaining ganache in the microwave in short 20-second increments, stirring after every heating period. The ganache doesn’t have to be liquid—shoot for a spreadable consistency (like peanut butter) and you’ll be fine.
• Combine the brownie mix, remaining 1 cup of ganache, 3 eggs, and 3 yolks in a mixing bowl, and beat on medium-low speed with a paddle attachment until well-blended. Stop mixing when all of the dry streaks have disappeared, and finish stirring by hand, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula.
• Spray 8 3/4-cup ramekins with nonstick cooking spray, and fill them with about 1/2 cup of lava cake batter. Press a truffle down into the center of each cake, and spread some of the surrounding batter over the top, so that the truffle is covered with batter.
• Place the ramekins on a baking sheet, and bake them for 18-20 minutes, rotating halfway through. The edges should be puffed and dry, but it should still look shiny, jiggly, and underbaked in the center. Let the cakes cool for a few minutes, then gently unmold them. Hold a ramekin in one oven-mitt clad hand, and gently pull the edges of the cake away from the ramekin. Press a plate on top of the ramekin, then flip the whole thing over so the cake releases onto the plate. Repeat until all of the cakes are unmolded.
• For the best taste and texture, serve these lava cakes while still warm, so the chocolate centers flow out. Top with ice cream, whipped cream, or fresh berries. The lava cakes can be made in advance and reheated in the microwave for 15-25 seconds, until warm throughout.

• Combine the milk, ice cream, and 1 cup ganache in a blender, and blend together until smooth and creamy. Pour into glasses and top with whipped cream, a drizzle of ganache, and anything else you can dream up! Serve immediately.

• 1. Combine the egg yolks and granulated sugar in a mixing bowl, and mix them on medium-high speed using the paddle attachment for 5 minutes, until they are very thick ad a ale yellow color. When you lift the paddle from the yolks, the yolks should drop back down into the bowl in a slow ribbon.
• 2. Place the cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and bring it to a simmer. Once simmering, whisk the egg yolks while you drizzle in hot cream. This tempers the eggs, and makes it so they gradually heat up without cooking or curdling. Once you have drizzled in about half of the hot cream, start whisking the cream in the saucepan while you drizzle the eggs back into the pan.
• 3. Return the egg-cream mixture tot he heat and cook, whisking constantly, until it comes back to a simmer. Don’t let it boil!
• 4. Once simmering, pour the hot custard over the ganache and whisk well, until everything is shiny and smooth. Pour the mousse into six 6-oz ramekins, and chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight, until the mousse is firm. Top with whipped cream, a berry sauce, fresh fruit, or chocolate decorations.