Ganache recipes can vary greatly in chocolate to cream ratios - this version falls somewhere in the middle and is great! To simplify the process, I chop the chips in my food processor until they resemble fine crumbs. Then I heat the cream in a heavy bottomed saucepan until it just starts to bubble around the edges, pour the hot cream down the feed tube of the food processor, and give it a whirl... in seconds you have wonderful ganache. I should mention that chocolate chips contain stabilizers that allow the chips to keep their shape while warm, and those stabilizers don't melt down smoothly like chocolate does, so for a smoother finished product, I strain the warm ganache through a fine mesh strainer (this is not a necessary step, but will give more professional results). Use this ganache warm as a pourable glaze, let it cool to room temp (over night) and use like a standard frosting, or chill until firm and whip with a heavy stand mixer until it's lighter in color and spreadable. You can even use this ganache to make authentic chocolate truffles - just roll the chilled ganache (unwhipped) into balls and coat with cocoa powder, chopped nuts, or whatever. One more helpful hint: if you use this ganache to "frost" a cake, make sure the cake is brought to room temp before you try to cut it (using a hot knife). For added depth of flavor, try adding some liquor, vanilla, brewed coffee, or even coffee powder into the warm ganache mixture.

This is the only recipe you need for ganache. I have also decreased the amount of chocolate to 6oz to drizzle it over a bundt cake. If you don't have bittersweet chocolate, chips work well too!

Very Nice, This is a great recipe, easy, quick and is a big hit w/ all everytime. A little hint though, whatever you do make sure that it is completely cooled before frosting!