This is the pretty basic recipe:

6-9 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped or shredded into small pieces with a heavy chef knife - "use less chocolate for a pourable glaze (6-7 ounces); use a bit more chocolate for spreadable glaze.
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon cognac or vanilla (optional)

Place chopped chocolate into a large heat resistant bowl. Bring cream up to the boil. Turn off heat. Pour cream over the chocolate. Cover bowl with a plate or plastic wrap. Stir after 5 minutes. Cover for another 5 minutes. Stir again until it's smooth. (Alternatively, you can pulverize the chocolate in a food processor, pour over the hot cream, and mix until smooth.) At this point you can add a bit of cognac or vanilla if you want.

(Haven't made this for years so don't know what a block of chocolate would cost these days. Often wonder if a good brand of bittersweet/semi-sweet chocolate chips wouldn't be okay to use.)

ina garten's chocolate ganache

8 ounces good semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules

Directions

Cook the chocolate chips, heavy cream, and instant coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally.

When you say heavy cream do you mean whipping cream or 18% coffee cream? Probably a dumb question.... I can bake but just want to make sure. Thanks

Heavy cream, also known as whipping cream, is an ingredient that is frequently called for in recipes. Cream is the thick, fat-rich part of milk, which rises to the top when milk is fresh and is skimmed off. The type of cream is determined by its fat content. Heavy cream has a fat content between 36 and 40%. A high milkfat will add tenderness and moisture to a baked good, just like adding most other types of fat.

You can make your own:

3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted and cooled

Use in place of one cup heavy cream.

glenda have you ever tried this I cant believe it works with margarine Do you use whole milkor doesnt it matter?

No I haven't, but I've made homemade sweetened condensed milk numerous times.

I would use whole milk and butter.

To equal 1 cup of heavy cream, use 3/4 cup milk + 1/3 cup melted butter. Not for whipping, only for cooking.

Thanks for all the great suggestions.

This sounds soooo good! I'm going to lay down on the floor and go into a sugar coma right now! I need me some chocolate ganache.

I love using ganache as a frosting. Once it cools I whip for several minutes and then spread or pipe. I don't care for super sweet frostings like butter creams that have alot of powered sugar. Ganache is a wonderful alternative.