Today’s blog is inspired by a recent question: “How do I adapt a ganache recipe depending on the application I need?”
If you’ve ever wanted to turn a molded bonbon ganache you love into the perfect enrobed bonbon filling, keep reading!
The main difference between a molded and an enrobed bonbon ganache
As you know, the main difference between a molded bonbon ganache and an enrobed bonbon ganache boils down to how much cacao butter each of them requires.
Since our molded bonbon ganache is meant to stay within a shell, it needs less structure, therefore less cacao butter.
Enrobed bonbons, on the other hand, need a stable ganache that you can easily cut, handle, and enrobe. That can only happen if you work within a higher cacao butter percentage.
What happens if you use the wrong ganache for the wrong application?
If you pipe a molded bonbon ganache in a frame, you won’t be able to cut it, let alone enrobe it.
And if you try to pipe an enrobed bonbon ganache, it won’t have the softness you expect from a molded piece, since the texture will be too viscous.
Chances are, when piping the ganache (especially if it’s made with dark chocolate), you will notice the ganache will have a hard time flowing inside the shell, and it will start forming little “mountains” due to the viscosity of the ganache.
Formulation percentages
To show you how ganache texture is determined by ingredient percentages, I’ve included the ganache formulation tables I use in my classes:
As you can see, molded bonbons require a 12-18% cacao butter content; far less than enrobed bonbons, which call for a total of 19-28% cacao butter content, depending on the chocolate used.
It’s important to mention that the cacao butter can come from the chocolate you choose for the ganache, plus any added cacao butter.
But cacao butter is not the only important factor…
When adapting your recipes, you also have to be mindful of the other fats you use.
For example, if you want to develop an enrobed bonbon ganache recipe, remember that adding too much butter or nut paste can inhibit the crystallization of cacao butter.
The result? A ganache that’s loose and difficult to cut.
Conversely, these fats and oils add softness to the final consistency of your molded bonbon ganache.
This is because oils, butter, and nut paste are unstable fats that are soft at room temperature (unlike cacao butter, which is a stable fat), so they will give your ganache the consistency you need.
The more unstable fats you use in your ganache, the softer it will be in texture.
The more stable fats (cacao butter) you add to your recipe, the harder it will be.
Try to follow the dairy fat oil guidelines I included in the previous tables to get the perfect result.
Finally, sugars also determine the texture of your ganache
Once you’ve settled the cacao butter vs. fat matter, the last step is to use the right sugar for your recipe.
For example, glucose syrup adds elasticity to ganache recipes, so if you’re adapting a molded ganache recipe that contains a high percentage of this ingredient, it can make the filling harder to cut.
On the flip side, this level of elasticity is ideal for molded bonbon ganache recipes, which can become more texturally pleasing thanks to glucose syrup.
Sorbitol also affects your ganache by relaxing it. This means that when you’re piping the ganache, even though it can be viscous, sorbitol helps the filling flow better.
That’s why (among other reasons I’ve covered before) you will always find sorbitol in my molded bonbon ganache recipes.
As you can see, adapting a ganache recipe goes far beyond the amount of cacao butter you use in one application or another.
Keeping in mind how cacao butter, oils, dairy fat, and sugars affect the outcome is crucial for getting the filling you want.
I hope these tips help you formulate many ganache recipes from now on.
-Melissa
If you’d like to learn more about enrobed bonbons, you can check out my class on them here.
Or, if you’re looking to perfect molded bonbons, this class is the perfect fit for you!