Hi,

This is my first attempt at Whipped Ganache. The recipe said to heat the cream until it was 'simmering gently'. Maybe that's where my problem started. I thought that when I could see steam rising from the cream, it would be hot enough to pour over my chocolate. WRONG. I poured it over and the chocolate wasn't melting. So I put the heat back on and tried to make the best of it, and eventually, it was 'pretty' smooth (but there were teeny tiny bits of chocolate still visible.

I took it off the heat and let it sit to cool before refrigerating and it developed 'skin' - not sure if that's the right term, but that's what my mother used to call that layer that forms on hot chocolate! So, I refrigerated it anyway, and will whip it up since I hate to waste things and even if it doesn't look good, I'll still eat it.

Can someone guide me as to what I did wrong? How hot should the cream be? I was afraid that it would start to boil and it was not supposed to boil. What setting should I have put my stove? I thought simmer was a 3 or 4 max, am I wrong?

A simmer is when it starts to bubble slightly, not a boil/roiling boil. If you would have given the cream a little more time it would have been at a simmer shortly.
I've boiled the cream before by mistake and it will still work to make a ganache. Ok, I've done this more than a few times actually because I get busy and walk away.

I just make a regular ganache let it cool and then whip it in the mixer a little when I'm really busy.

You can also melt the chocolate in the microwave before adding it to the cream - that way you will not need to heat the cream too much. It's easier to whip if it hasn't boiled. Mine always develops a skin as well but that disappears with the whipping

Thank you!! I will melt the chocolate in the microwave next time - that's a smart idea. I'm happy that the skin will disappear. The recipe says not to whip it up until right before I'm ready to fill the cake, so I wouldn't have time to make another batch on the spot.

Lay a piece of saran wrap on the surface of your ganache while it cools - no skin !

Saran Wrap!! What an awesome idea! Thank you!

I always heat the cream and then pour over the chocolate and let it sit for five minutes before stirring. Also, make sure your chocolate is chopped up in little pieces!