Gosh, who doesn't love ganache?...

Today is such a great day!  Found out that my kids are moving back to the states at the end of the year!!!  It has been a long three years, but, I did get to go to Europe 4 times!  That sure helped ease the pain of not seeing them daily.  So that was definitely a plus, but I am so happy that are coming home!!  We are tickeld pink and have already got the plans rolling for what we are gonna do.  I do see the state fairs in our very near future!  It is such a big for Tyler to go to both the Texas State Fair in Dallas and, of course, our state fair is HUGE, too.  This year will be a bonus because Kennedi is just at that age where she will love riding those rides.  She will turn 2 in August.  Just realized we will get to have our first birthday party at the Lazy G!!  She is just precious and I can't wait to get here and start snapping some pics.  She is waaay behind her brother as far as pics go.  I will definitely have to play catch up.

Speaking of sweet...ganache!  Is there anything finer?  It is so simple to make and yet people think that you have to have a degree from a culinary institute to be able to make it!  Once you make it you will never purchase a frosting from the store again.  My two favorites are peanut butter and the original semi-sweet.  I use it on brownies, cupcakes, cakes strawberries, marshmallows, whatever your lil' ol' heart desires.  You can't mess it up how sweet is that!!  I think it is the fancy name that scares people off...pronounced gah-nosh.  Some struggle with the name, too, and it makes me giggle, but I never correct anyone.  I will just use it in a sentence later on somehow and then they say, "oh, that's how yo say that!"  I don't like correcting or embarrassing anyone...anyway here it is...

Peanut Butter Ganache

2 cups peanut butter chips
1 cup heavy cream

Pour chips into bowl.  Heat the heavy cream in small saucepan until bubbles start to form around the edge.  Be careful not to boil!  Once heated pour over the chips and just let it sit for about 5 minutes.  Stir until all the chips have melted.  Now wasn't that hard!!!  Now it ready to use.  Allow to cool.  Once cool you can whip it and turn it into frosting!  It is devine!!  Heaven on a spoon.  I top my peanut butter cookies with a dab for special occasions, pour into onto my brownies and place them in the fridge to cool.  When it is placed in the fridge it stiffens up.  This is what truffles are made.  You can let this harden or set-up in the refrigerator and take out small balls and roll them in nuts, coconut, cocoa, jimmies or whatever.  My thought is why pay huge money for truffles when you can make and give them as gifts from home!!

To make the chocolate version follow the recipe the same way except add semi-sweet chocolate chips in place of the peanut butter chips.  You will be thrilled making this for the first time and tasting the results of only two ingredients.  I don't have pics for this because we usually eat it before I can run and grab the camera.  In my pics, most of the frostings on my cakes, cookies or cupcakes have this in them, oh, and the brownies as well.  Happy cooking, girls...