Little Flowers

A sweet little flower cake for a very sweet friend, Jen, whose birthday was Monday. I did this little 6-inch cake yesterday. It is my midnight chocolate cake with peanut butter ganache. I actually had a different plan at first. That plan involved cut-outs and a panel surrounding the cake. It was really cool. In concept anyway. But it didn't work out and I had to take it off. So, the flowers were "born." I actually like how it turned out! And I hope you like it too Jen! Happy Birthday!

This was the first time I made peanut butter ganache and it is fantastic! You should all try it. And, so that you can, here is a recipe! Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Ganache
12 ounces milk chocolate, chopped (NOT chocolate chips)
4 ounces (1/2 cup) heavy cream
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Heat the heavy cream in a medium saucepan until is is steamy. Stir often to prevent scorching. When the cream is steaming, turn off the head and add the chocolate. Stir or whisk until the chocolate is melted and the ganache is smooth. Add the peanut butter and stir until smooth. If you like a stronger peanut butter flavor, just add more creamy peanut butter. I won't tell. And your ganache won't mind either. Allow to cool until it is a good spreading consistency. Enjoy!

If you stop before adding the peanut butter, you will have a nice milk chocolate ganache to frost a cake with or use as a filling. If you prefer to use dark chocolate, increase the amount of cream to 8 ounces (1 cup). This is because dark chocolate is not as soft as milk chocolate, so to get the proper consistency, you need a 2:1 ratio (by weight) of chocolate to cream. For milk chocolate, use a 3:1 ratio. Same for white chocolate.

For another twist, try using less chocolate or more cream in the above recipe for a pourable version that can be drizzled over a cake. Or cookies. Or ice cream. Or straight into your mouth. I vote for that last option!

You can store your ganache in the refrigerator for a week or so. If you need to store leftovers longer than that, stick it in an airtight freezer container and keep it there for up to three months.

Enjoy!!