In which my mojo returns and I make ganache with Green & Black’s
So as you know, I kinda lost my blogging mojo.
It all started to really bug me. I mean, what am I exactly? A foodie blogger? In which case, should I concentrate on food, and not talk so much arse? Or am I a ‘mummy blogger’ (how I hate the term)? A foodie mummy blogger? A foodie blogger who’s also a mummy? A doggy blogger? A foodie doggy mummy blogger? A blogging mummy foodie… er… dogger?
I think I’m kind of ‘none of the above’, really. I’m a blogger who happens to be a mother of two ridiculously fantastic and hilariously funny boys of whom I’m immensely proud. And I’m a foodie. But I’m also a wife, a very occasional journalist (One article this year so far, count it: one.), and a daughter of quite the most spectacularly mental parents you could wish for. I write about food, yes, and I write about kids, but then I write about all sorts of old rubbish besides those two things and an awful lot more besides: greyhounds, chickens, ‘bollocks’ pies, sexual gymnastics…
So I decided I wouldn’t pigeonhole myself. I would let my verbal vomit run free. I would practice ‘no holds barred’ blogging – ‘blogging sans frontieres’, if you would. And do you know what? My mojo came back.
The return of the missing mojo was also partly due to the lovely chaps at Green & Black’s sending me a mahoosive parcel of chocolate. I mean, whose mojo could remain missing when surrounded by about ten different flavours of the most fabulous chocolate in the world?
And seeing as we’ve got the ginormous Cupcake Challenge in the offing, I thought I’d say a few words about chocolate and a few more about ganache:
A few words about chocolate
Chocolate, especially decent chocolate like Green and Black’s needs gentle treatment. That means that melting it in the microwave is a bit of a no no in my book, as the microwave can create hotspots and burn the chocolate or turn it grainy. The best way is to place it in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of hot water. Make sure the water isn’t touching the bottom of the bowl, and when the water starts to bubble, just turn it off and allow the chocolate to melt gently. I’m a bit anal, but I don’t like to stir until it’s completely melted:
Furthermore, there’s no point in bunging in a bar of Cadbury’s Dairy Milk (as nice as it is) – you need something good quality with a high cocoa content, and for cooking, good cocoa butter content will make for easier melting. I tried Green and Black’s Milk Cook’s Chocolate (one of many in my stash) and was really pleased with the result: melted easily? Check. Nice milky taste? Check. No hint of graininess? Check. Furthermore, each little square weighs exactly 5g. Magic!
A few more about ganache:
There’s some kind of ridiculous snobbery about ganache. I mean, just because it’s got a poncy French name it doesn’t mean it has to be poncy itself: it’s just cream and chocolate for goodness’ sake. If you make it runny you can pour it over things as a glaze, or if you make it stiffer you can make truffles, you can chill it and whip it and then pipe it on things too, but it’s still just chocolate and cream.
Anyhoo, so just whisk your cream into your melted chocolate until you get the required consistency (as above), then pour or spread over your cake as required. For piping, bung it in the fridge, then give it a whisk before filling your piping bag.
Et voila. Ganache. Magnifique, n’est-ce pas?
(Oh and these little beauties are red velvet cupcakes, taken from an awesomely, beautiful new book called ‘Eat Me’ by Xanthe Milton which is due to be published on Mar 4th – and guess who’s getting a review copy?!)
You really really area an inspiration English Mum. Just reading that has made me want to rush off to Sainsbugs and buy a bunch of ingredients to make my own – how the sam heck do you make it look so much fun?
You are a cooking rock star x
But hang on… you say you got ten bars of Green and Blacks. I only for eight.
Off to phone Tara on her emergency chocolate helpline…
Either way, I think I might just have to give it a try.
I’m with you on the food colouring although the powders and pastes are much more vivid with less – they’re often on sale at our cook shop because noone really uses them so we snap them up for 30p or so!
Have you seen this?
http://iammommy.typepad.com/i_am_baker/2010/02/heart-cake-tutorial.html
I’m tempted to have a go but haven’t found the occasion to justify it yet!
I got some pink paste yesterday – can’t wait to have a go x
I’m pleased you got your mojo back
Cakes look very yummy, I want one now…
There are a gazillion foodie/mammy/doggy/waffley/funny/serious/sartorial blogs out there but only ONE that refuses to tread a path of stern definition and unleash the whole gamut of life chez vous.
That’s why we read it!
I wouldn’t like to spend time with someone who is so ‘monotheistic’ so why on earth would I read such a blog? You’re a passionate, scatty, funny gastromuffin, my dear and that’s why we lurve you. Mwah!
(actually, hating you today ‘cos of the free choccy)
and drool to chocolate!
Anyway, apparently ‘ganache’ is the french for ‘idiot’. The story goes that a chef called his assistant a ganache when he accidently knocked cream into melted chocolate …
Your red velvet cupcake looks amazing and delicious! I’m afraid I had no time yesterday for fancy piping of the frosting. Had to make do with the ol’ spread it on quickly design. Doing so enabled me get the kids out of my hair and clean up before dinner! Cheers! x
That cake is a thing of beauty *strokes monitor*
Saludos,
A Mexican mommy living in Europe
Those cakes look delicious and I can’t wait to read your review on the book. Another love of mine- recipe books! ;0)
[...] you can use ganache (click here for how-to guide with Green & Black’s), but then you’ll lose the ‘pint of Guinness’ [...]