Well, I am fairly new to this cooking thing and the last time I attempted a ganache it split Does anyone have any tips to avoid this happening or perhaps to rescue it if it does?? I really need help as I am attempting a lavish birthday cake next week and would hate another disaster!! Many thanks

if you over heat chocolate and cream both split, so put choclate in a bowl over a pan of boiling water not letting the water touch the bowl and while this is happening ,heat the double cream, just to the point where it starts to bubble,then turn off the heat now add your chocolate to the hot not boiling cream and let the chocolate melt into the cream, or if you are up to it, put the required amount of cream and chocolate together in a bowl/jug and put into your microwave, and watch, as soon as you see the cream just starting to bubble, stop the micorwave and then take out and stir it altogether,the heat of the cream will melt the choclate and you have to stir thoroughly to mix, the chocolate which will look grainy when you take out of the micorwave,so you have to thoroughtly mix the lot together, the microwave method is the one i use all the time, and i am sure others will have equally good methods to get a loverly ganache.

A simple ganache which is tasty and quick that the head of pastries at the London Ritz hotel told me that they do is- 600ml whipping cream to 300gr of dark chocolate and simply melt the choc then mix into the cold cream as boiling the cream destroys the flavour of the cream- mix quickly but gently. this will give u about 100 chcocs depend on the size u want- this recipe works for me but theres thousands of recipes for a ganache! enjoy experimenting!!