Fresh Desserts

Ingredients

• 8 oz 64% dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 cup (1 oz by weight) powdered cane sugar
• 3 Tbs California Olive Ranch extra virgin olive oil
• 4 pieces of crusty bread
• 2 Tbs orange or blood orange oil for drizzling
• fleur de sel for sprinkling

Directions

1. Put the chocolate in a 1-quart vessel, preferably a clear one designed for use with an immersion blender.
2. Put the cream and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking to dissolve the sugar.
3. Immediately pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let it sit 1 minute. Blend the two together with an immersion blender using a stirring motion, going to the bottom of the vessel, until the ganache becomes less shiny and thickens to a pudding-like consistency, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Add the olive oil in a steady stream, blending constantly. Pour the ganache into a bowl and let it cool to room temperature. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap without touching the ganache. Keep the ganache in a cool room until it sets, preferably overnight.
5. To serve, toast bread slices and put them on plates. Scoop balls of ganache and put them next to the toasts. Drizzle both the chocolate and the toast with orange olive oil and sprinkle with fleur de sel.
6. The ganache will keep in the refrigerator for at least a week. Bring it to room temperature before serving.