Chocolate Glaze

What is a glaze?

In pastry-making, glazing involves covering a product’s surface with a light covering. This layer serves a largely decorative purpose. There are many different glaze recipes. The most common ingredients for a classic glaze are couverture chocolate, Valrhona Absolu Cristal, and cream.

You can use any type of chocolate depending on the result you want and the recipe. From Dulcey to dark or white chocolate, the choice is yours. As always in pastry-making, the main thing is to use quality chocolate. You will need different amounts of chocolate depending on which one you use for your glaze.

How to make a good chocolate glaze

If you are still learning how to bake, getting a perfectly smooth, shiny topping can be difficult. But with the right method and quality chocolate, you will give yourself the best possible start.

Feel free to use Absolu Cristal, a transparent Valrhona product with a neutral taste, for all your toppings and glazes.

Glazing is an essential technique in many chocolate and confectionery recipes. This is why you should master it, whether you work with chocolate or pastry.

Valrhona glaze with Absolu Cristal

For this glaze, you need to make a properly emulsified ganache. When you see your ganache has an elastic, shiny core, this means the texture is perfect. You can then incorporate the Absolu Cristal, heated to 160°F (70°C), using a blender. Be careful not to create air bubbles. If necessary, get rid of any last air bubbles with an immersion blender to homogenize the glaze and give it good hold and excellent shine.

Check the glaze is at 85-95°F (30-35°C) for glazes made with dark couverture chocolate, 82-85°F (28-30°C) for glazes made with milk couverture or Blond Dulcey chocolate, or 79-82°F (26-28°C) for glazes made with white couverture.

Pour the glaze over the dessert then use a spatula to remove any excess and smooth the surface. For an even more impeccable result, you can trim your gateau by removing any glaze that has run beyond the desired surface.

Let the chocolate gateau, dessert, or any other gourmet creations you have glazed cool.

Here's how to quickly make a smooth, shiny decoration worthy of a top chocolatier or pastry chef for all your desserts and gateaux.