Ganache 101

One simple recipe spins off into multiple chocolaty directions. The application varies depending on the temperature -- and therefore the consistency -- of the ganache, but the ingredients stay the same. While it's still warm, ganache can be poured directly from the bowl over a cake for a can't-fail glaze. Or piped into tartlets. Or it can be cooled to room temperature and whipped into a fluffy frosting or whoopie pie filling. Mixed with some peanut butter, chilled, and rolled, it turns into truffles.

Our basic ganache recipe (which can easily be multiplied) is the base for all the variations that follow. First, coarsely chop 8 ounces of semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (we like 61 percent cacao). A serrated knife is best for the job; its sawlike teeth grab the chocolate, breaking it up.

Bring 1 cup heavy cream just to a boil over medium-high heat. Pour over chocolate and add 1/8 teaspoon coarse salt. Let stand for 10 minutes (don’t stir -- doing so will cool the ganache too quickly, making it grainy).

Stir with a whisk until smooth and shiny to break up any pieces and emulsify the cream and chocolate.

Chocolate will often settle on the bottom or sides of the bowl. Scrape the dish with a rubber spatula to incorporate all of it.

When beaten at room temperature, ganache fluffs up like whipped cream (which, given its heavy-cream content, makes perfect sense). For a smoother and denser frosting, whip the ganache less; for a fluffier, lighter one, whip it longer.

Refrigerated and firmed up, ganache has the perfect texture for rolling into truffles. Double or even triple batches of ganache can be used to make holiday and hostess gifts.

Just when you think you’ve run through all the possibilities, there are more: You can alter the richness depending on the percentage of cacao beans in the chocolate. And not a drop should go to waste. When you glaze a cake and some spatters off to the side, scoop it up and serve it over ice cream or crepes. Or mix it with warm milk, and tuck into a nice cup of hot chocolate.