Basic chocolate ganache recipe and methods

Chocolate ganache, depending on the consistency, can be used as a cake filler, a cake glaze, chocolate syrup to drizzle and more.  Here's your basic recipe, which can be used to glaze a cake or drizzle syrup across a yummy dessert.

Ingredients:
2/3 cup Heavy Cream
10 oz Chopped chocolate (any kind will do...though chocolate baking discs are my favorite)

Methods:

There are many ways to make chocolate ganache.  Some swear that you can place both items in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring it until it's smooth.

I personally prefer one of the two following methods.  I choose the way I do it based on the time in which I need the ganache to be finished.

Quick Ganache:
1. Place chocolate in stainless steel bowl, set aside.  Heat cream in small saucepan over high heat until it just boils. 
2.  Pour hot cream over chocolate, stirring until smooth.

Slow Ganache:
1.  Place chocolate and cream in large stainless steel bowl.  Set bowl over pot of simmering water and allow to heat slowly, stirring occasionally until smooth.

Either way, when you are done, your ganache should look like this:

Notice the ribbon-like stream of chocolate- that's what you're aiming for.

A few nifty tidbits on chocolate ganache: 

1.  By adjusting the ratio or chocolate to cream, you can create a thinner or thicker ganache.  More chocolate than cream will give you a thicker ganache that could be used to fill a cake.  More cream then chocolate gives you a thinner glaze.

2.  Chocolate ganache can be reused.  If you have leftover ganache, transfer it to a stainless steel bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator.   To bring it back, place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and stir.