AOk. So I have never used choc ganache, it's going under fondant. In my un researched wisdom I have bought 70% cocoa chocolate. Can someone please tell me if I can add milk chocolate to it to make it more palatable? I want a rich flavour but I'm guessing this will be too strong for normal tastes... This is for a 2 tier ombré ruffle cake with a lady in a bath tub on top... And it's a gift! So any pennies saved without having to buy more chocolate would be great. Oh and I'm in the uk... I know it makes a difference to the products used... Thankyou in advance

Yes you can. The gang of chocolate lovers in my guinea pig pen often get a half-half mix of semi-sweet & milk chocolate.

AAt 70% I would assume Lindt or green and blacks? (Just being the most common readily available) From my understanding green and blacks makes a bad ganache so if you got that maybe try to exchange it.

But otherwise yes you can add milk choc to it to balance it down a bit. Make sure you get whipping cream to make it with not double cream.

Good luck.

AWhat is the difference between whipping cream and double cream. I'm in Canada

AThe main difference is the fat content. I think that's the same wherever you are in the world but don't quote me on that. Double has a higher fat content and may cause issues with the ganache.

Confused about US cream?

4 March 2009 | Category

It’s easy enough to get confused about cream if you’re in the UK and using a British cook book. If you then start using a US cook book, or have to deal with American ingredients, the confusion’s that much greater!

So let’s have a look at cream and the different varieties available in the US market.

United States

It gets worse! The situation’s more complex in the US than it is in the UK because not only do you have Federal legislation from the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) – the States have a say, too, so potentially you’ve got 51 different sets of definitions to deal with! However, here’s a rough guide.

Light cream (or coffee cream/table cream)

Light cream ranges from 18% to 30% milkfat content, so it equates roughly to the UK definition of single cream.

Whipping cream (or light whipping cream)

This contains not less than 30% milkfat but less than 36%, so it’s a bit thinner than UK whipping cream (and closer to the type of whipping cream that’s available in continental Europe).

Heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream)

This has to contain not less than 36% milkfat – so it’s at least as thick as UK whipping cream, but may be considerably less thick than double cream.

Extra-heavy cream (or double cream/manufacturer’s cream)

Not generally available to the retail market except through some warehouse and specialist traders, this is generally about 38-40% fat content cream, so still a bit less thick than UK double cream.

Half-and-half

This is a rough equivalent to mixing equal volumes of light cream and milk. It must contain between 10.5% and 18% fat, so it equates to UK half cream (although it may be a little thinner).

Any of the above may also contain stabilisers and/or emulsifiers. They must be pasteurised or ultra-pasteurised (UHT, in other words), and may be homogenised.