Chocolate Genoise With Chocolate Peppermint Ganache Recipes

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Steps:

• Place the chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, watching very carefully because if it boils for a few seconds, it will boil out of the pot. When the cream has come to a boil, pour over the chopped chocolate, and whisk until smooth. Stir in the rum if desired.
• Allow the ganache to cool slightly before pouring over a cake. Start at the center of the cake and work outward. For a fluffy frosting or chocolate filling, allow it to cool until thick, then whip with a whisk until light and fluffy.

CHOCOLATE GENOISE

Steps:

• Place a 1-quart saucepan half filled with water over high heat and bring it to a simmer. Make a double boiler by setting a large mixing bowl over the simmering water. Place the whole eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and honey in the mixing bowl and make an egg foam by whisking the mixture to 113 degrees F (45 degrees C) on a candy thermometer, about 7 to 10 minutes. The egg foam passes through various stages becoming foamy, then smooth and finally it thickens. When it is thick, it will be hot to the touch, tripled in volume, and light in color and the sugar will have completely dissolved. If you dip the whisk into the mixture and pull it out, the batter should fall back into the bowl in a thick ribbon.
• Remove the mixing bowl from the heat and whip the batter with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until it cools, increases in volume, stiffens slightly and becomes pale yellow, about 7 to 10 minutes. Take the time to whip it well; if the mixture is underwhipped, the baked genoise will be dense. Very, very carefully, fold in the flour with a rubber spatula until the flour is no longer visible, making sure to fold to the bottom of the bowl. Do not overmix or the batter will deflate.
• I bake the genoise on a baking sheet 99 percent of the time because then I can cut it to any size I want. Spread the batter over a parchment paper-covered baking sheet and bake in a preheated 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) oven until lightly and evenly browned and springy to the touch, about 10 minutes. If using cake pans, fill buttered and parchment paper-lined 8-inch round cake pans three quarters full. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) until well-risen and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Genoise is baked at a higher temperature for a shorter period of time on a baking sheet than when baked in a cake pan to allow it to retain moisture; if overbaked, it will be dry and crunchy.
• Let the genoise cool slightly. Unmold and finish cooling on a wire rack to allow the air to circulate evenly around the cake. The baked genoise can be stored in the freezer for 2 to 3 weeks if well wrapped in plastic wrap. Return it to room temperature before using it.
• VARIATION: You can easily make this recipe into a Chocolate Genoise by substituting unsweetened cocoa powder for 10 to 20 percent of the weight (a scant 1/4 cup to a full 1/3 cup/0.8 to 1.6 ounces/25 to 50 grams) of the flour. Weigh the cocoa powder before you sift it.
• SIDEBAR: Genoise can be made with butter. In this recipe, you can substitute butter (5 1/2 tablespoons, 2.7 ounces or 75 grams) for the 3 large egg yolks. Melt and cool the butter and fold it in after the flour is added.

FRENCH PEPPERMINT COOKIES WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Steps:

• Move rack to the bottom of oven and preheat oven to 175 degrees F (80 degrees C). Line baking sheets with aluminum foil.
• Whisk egg whites and 1/4 cup white sugar in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water until smooth. Whisk cream of tartar and peppermint extract into egg mixture and beat until foamy. Gradually whisk confectioners' sugar into mixture, beating until egg white meringue holds stiff peaks.
• Scoop about 1 tablespoon of meringue per cookie and gently transfer to the prepared baking sheets; use spoon to shape the meringue cookies into football shape with 2 gently pointed ends.
• Bake cookies on bottom rack of the preheated oven until dry on the outside but still slightly soft in the centers, about 1 1/2 hours. Let cool completely before removing from baking sheets.
• Melt chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until melted, stirring until smooth. Gradually mix cream into chocolate until mixture is thick but not pasty; stir 1 teaspoon white sugar into chocolate ganache until sugar has dissolved. Dip cookies in ganache. Place dipped cookies atop a piece of parchment paper and sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy. Let cookies set; refrigerate leftovers.

MINT-CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the cream to a simmer.
• Place chocolate in a medium bowl; set aside. Pour cream over chocolate and let melt for 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk together until chocolate is fully melted. Add butter, extract, and salt, whisking after each addition to incorporate.
• Once butter is fully incorporated, allow ganache to stand until slightly thickened and glossy.

CHOCOLATE GENOISE WITH CHOCOLATE-PEPPERMINT GANACHE

Steps:

• Make syrup:
• Stir water and sugar in small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil. Remove from heat. Stir in creme de cacao and vanilla. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover; chill.)
• Make genoise:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides; line bottom with parchment paper. Cover cake rack with paper towel; spray paper towel with nonstick spray.
• Sift flour, cocoa powder and baking soda into small bowl 3 times. Combine eggs, egg yolk, sugar and salt in large stainless steel bowl. {Step One} Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not let bottom of bowl touch water). Whisk until mixture is just warm to touch (thermometer will register 110°F), about 2 minutes. Remove mixture from over water. {Step Two} Using electric mixer, beat until mixture triples in volume and falls in heavy ribbon when beaters are lifted, about 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Sift flour mixture over in 3 additions; fold gently to incorporate each time. Drizzle butter over and fold in (do not overmix or batter will deflate). Transfer batter to prepared pan.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cut around pan sides; release sides. Turn cake out onto towel-covered rack; peel off parchment. Cool. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap; store at room temperature.)
• Make ganache:
• Place chocolate in large bowl. Bring cream to boil in small saucepan. Pour cream over chocolate. {Step Three} Add corn syrup and extracts; whisk until smooth. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
• Transfer 3 cups ganache to medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until very thick and light colored, about 12 minutes.
• Using long serrated knife, cut genoise horizontally into 3 layers. Place 1 cake layer on cardboard round or pan bottom. Brush cake with 3 tablespoons syrup. Spread 1/3 of whipped ganache over. Repeat 2 more times with remaining cake layers, syrup and whipped ganache. Spread 1 cup unwhipped ganache thinly over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate cake until coating sets, about 10 minutes.
• If necessary, warm remaining un-whipped ganache until just pourable. Place cake on rack set over sheet of foil. Pour ganache over cake as glaze, spreading to cover top and sides smoothly. Chill until glaze begins to set, about 30 minutes. Place cake on platter. Press chocolate curls onto sides. Chill at least 2 hours.