Ganache is a specific type of chocolate frosting or filling for pastries. To make ganache, pour heated cream over chopped chocolate and stir gently until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth and shiny.
Warm ganache can be spread, dripped, or poured over cakes, into pie crusts, or even over ice cream. Cooled ganache can be rolled into balls to make chocolate truffles, a type of candy. The creamy mixture is said to have been created in France around 1850. According to the story, a chef's apprentice accidentally poured hot cream over chocolate and stirred it to hide his mistake. The chef called the apprentice — and the chocolate mixture — ganache, a French word meaning "imbecile."