How To Add Chocolate To Raspberry Fillings

Chocolate and raspberries are truly delicious together, wherever they make an appearance. You'll often see them paired in an elegant mousse or a special cake. The tart, sweet flavor of the raspberries brightens up rich chocolate, especially if the dessert is otherwise all chocolate. A few additional ingredients will easily transform a raspberry filling into a chocolate-raspberry ganache that you can use as anywhere -- between cake layers or on top of cupcakes, for example.

Step 1

Use a good-quality chocolate, or one whose flavor appeals to you the most. Look for a product with at least 60 percent cacao content. Chop your chocolate of choice into small, even pieces, or use bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Step 2

Add the chopped chocolate and heavy cream to the top half of a double boiler and heat water to a simmer in the lower half. If you're using a small saucepan, set it over low heat and add the chocolate and heavy cream. Stir until the chocolate has melted. Do not boil the mixture.

Step 3

Add the butter and raspberry preserves. Beat the mixture with a fork or wire whisk until it's smooth.

Step 4

Use the ganache while still warm if you want to spread it as a thin glaze, or let it cool and whisk it again before using as a filling to get the consistency you'd like.

Tips and Warnings

A shortcut method is to add shaved chocolate or chocolate chips directly to a raspberry filling. You could also make a rich chocolate glaze that you then spread raspberry preserves over. Or use white chocolate mousse with fresh raspberries -- or raspberry mousse spread over chocolate glaze.