Oh Whipped Cream -- Thou Art Dangerous!

I love me some cream.
I love it in all of it's forms. Whipped, sour, with chocolate, in cakes, on top of fruit, mixed in hot chocolate. The list could go on and on.
I don't love that it can make parts of my body look.....well.....cheese-ish......cottage cheese-ish to be specific. But I love cream nonetheless.

MDH went Costco shopping for me.
Look what he picked up!
A 3 pack!

Dangerous I'm telling you. Dangerous but tasty.

So I haven't shared any recipes lately (ever?).
For my son's birthday he requested chocolate cake with chocolate ganache frosting, berry sauce topping and whipped cream.
Oh so decadent! and a great choice for a birthday cake.
I learned about ganache while living in Reno. A lady made a cake for a cub-scout event (of all places) using chocolate ganache frosting. After my first taste I knew my life would never be the same.
Alton Brown (food network) has some great tips for making chocolate ganache glaze and frosting.
So, I thought I'd share.
Click here for the web site.

Ganache Frosting Recipe

courtesy Alton Brown, 2004

Prep Time: 12 min

Inactive Prep Time: 2 hr 0 min

Cook Time: 4 min

Level:Easy Serves:approximately 3 1/2 cups

Ingredients

16 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine

16 ounces (2 cups) heavy cream

Directions

Place the chopped chocolate into the bowl of a food processor.Heat the heavy cream in a quart-sized, microwavable container and microwave for 3 to 4 minutes on high, or until it just begins to simmer; be careful not to allow cream to boil over. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let stand for 2 minutes. Process by pulsing several times until chocolate mixture is smooth. Use as is for glazing. If you wish to make a lighter frosting, allow it to come to room temperature, approximately 2 hours. Once at room temperature, place in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk on high for 2 to 3 minutes.

A couple of changes I made.
I don't have a food processor and I don't buy expensive chocolate in the big blocks, so, I just use chocolate chips and whisk the heated cream and chips by hand. Really no need for a food processor and it turns out tasty every time. I've even been known to add a little vanilla, also very tasty.
Enjoy!