Cooking Through "The Baker's Man": Dark and Stormy Ganache

I'm picky when it comes to rain. I like it in doses. I don't want days and days of rain, but I do like the occasional rain-filled afternoon.

Rainy days make me think of naps beneath the Mickey Mouse twin-size quilt I used in my college dorm. Rainy days make me want to sit at my desk and write while periodically staring out the window, listening to the pitter-patter against the panes, staring at the rivulets running down the window.

Chapter 6 in The Baker's Man is titled Dark and Stormy Ganache. In Mystic Water, a storm is coming, both outside Anna's bakery and inside her heart.

I love ganache. It's got to be one of the easiest dessert accessories to make. It's also versatile. It can stream like hot fudge, drizzle like a glaze, or harden into a shell. This dark chocolate ganache is accentuated with lime zest and fresh ginger to mimic the Dark and Stormy cocktail.

I couldn't resist making not only mini bundt cakes, but also critter-shaped cakes (butterflies, ladybugs, and bees) just so I could pour the ganache on a variety of treats.

Dark and Stormy Ganache

Yields: approximately 2 cups

Difficulty Level: Super easy

Ingredients

9 oz dark chocolate pieces, finely chopped

1 c heavy cream

1 tsp ginger (fresh or ground)

1 tsp lime zest

1 tbsp rum (dark or light)

How to Make

1. Heat heavy cream over medium-heat until just before boiling. While cream is heating, add dark chocolate pieces to a glass bowl.
2. Just before cream boils, pour over chocolate pieces. Let sit for one minute.
3. Carefully whisk cream and chocolate until completely blended.
4. Add rum. Whisk until combined.
5. Add ginger and lime zest. Whisk until combined. Serve immediately.

The Baker's Man can be purchased in paperback or for the Kindle from Amazon and for the NOOK through Barnes & Noble.

Chapter 1: Peanut Brittle

Chapter 2: Rum Cake

Chapter 3: Morning Glory Muffins

Chapter 4: Mudslide Cookies
Chapter 5: Chocolate Caramel Bombe