Step 1

Roughly chop chocolate with a sharp knife and place in a arge bowl.

Step 2

Heat heavy whipping cream in a microwave for 1-2 minutes, or until hot. (Alternatively, you can heat the cream on stovetop until almost boiling, but not quite to a boil.)

Step 3

Pour hot cream over chopped chocolate and let it sit for good 2-3 minutes.

Step 4

Add salt and whisk the mixture gently from the center, stirring in one direction and slowly incorporating cream into the chocolate, until it's nice and smooth, about 2 minutes. (NOTE: As you stir the mixture, it’ll go through a few stages. At some point, it’ll look questionable, and you may wonder if you had messed up somehow. But don’t you worry; it’ll come together in just a little bit. Keep stirring gently until the mixture is glossy smooth and flawless.)

Step 5

TIP: If ganache is smooth for the most part, but you notice some solid chocolate in it (especially if you’re using chocolate chips), you may need to heat it up gently. Here’re 2 ways to go about it: Microwave it in 30-second increments at 50% power, stirring each time, until all the chocolate is melted. Or place the bowl with ganache over double boiler and gently heat the ganache until all the chocolate is melted.

Step 6

To add some shine, you may stir in butter, if desired.

Step 7

When ganache is warm, it's quite runny, which is perfect for glazing or drizzling. Ganache thickens as it cools, if you want more frosting-like texture. You can also reheat it in a microwave in 15-second increments at 50% power to make it runny again.