ArcaMax

We survey Plan Z dieters on occasion and ask them all kinds of questions. In a recent survey, we asked them the biggest reason they decided to go on a diet and chose Plan Z. You know what the most popular answer was?

I, for one, was surprised by the answer.

The most popular answer was, “I could not stand the pain any longer.”

My hips hurt.
My knees hurt.
My feet hurt.
My ankles were always swollen and sore.
They just hated the pain. They didn’t like the way they looked either, but it was the pain that was the final straw. Good news is we asked them why they did Plan Z AFTER they had completed it, and it was remarkable how many people said, “After Plan Z, my pain is gone or almost gone.”

So let’s set that aside for a minute and examine the situation.
I did a little bit of research...

Read the full column at PlanZDiet.com

Chocolate Ganache

Sinfully delicious...and only three ingredients.

Ingredients:

8 oz of dark chocolate. You want to use 70-80% cacao. That will give you the dark chocolate flavor with fewer carbs. Don’t use 90-100% cacao or it will taste too strong.
¾ cup of whipping cream
1-1/2 tsp of vanilla. When I make flavored ganache I still add the vanilla for smoothness.

Instructions:

Dice your chocolate into bits and put them in a bowl that can handle warm frosting. The smaller you dice them the easier this will come together.

In a small saucepan heat the whipping cream just until bubbles form around the edge of the pan. You don’t want to really boil it or it will boil over. Keep a close eye on it. You just want it hot.

Immediately pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir with a whisk. You want to continually stir the mixture until it’s totally smooth. Then add your vanilla and stir again.

The ganache is ready. Now you have some decisions to make.

You can let it cool down some before you glaze a cake with it or a tart/torte. Pour a puddle of it in the center and spread it with a spatula. You can also pour it around the edge and it will drizzle down.

You can cool it till it’s almost totally cool and use it like regular frosting. If it gets too cool it will get stiff and be hard to work with.

What I do is set the bowl on the counter while I make the rest of the meal and just check it periodically. I’m looking for it to be cool but not stiffening up.

You can cool it until it’s almost totally cool and whip it into a fluffy frosting. Don’t overwhip it or it will turn the cream into butter and you don’t want that.

If you want to frost the top and sides of an entire cake, you’ll need to double this recipe.

If you chill the ganache after you’ve put it on something it will harden and become candy consistency. Think of the outside of a Mounds bar. It will have that snap.

If you want to glaze cupcakes you can keep the warmish ganache in a bowl and just dip and swirl your cupcakes in it to coat them.

Enjoy!
Cheers,
Zola