At the heart of truffles, adaptable ganache

If the word "ganache" intimidates you, you are not alone. Maybe if the stuff were called "basic, simple and entirely superior chocolate sauce," more people would make it.

But although that is what this mixture of chocolate and cream is, it's not what the word means. (Actually, ganache is French for idiot. The story is that a chef called an assistant a ganache when he dumped hot cream into a bowl of chocolate.)

Ganache is not just chocolate sauce, though; it is also the basis for the easiest chocolate truffles. (This word is easier to understand because chocolate truffles do, in fact, closely resemble black truffles.)

To make truffles, you just chill the ganache, then roll it in cocoa, powdered sugar or cinnamon, or some combination, which might even include exotic spices. The finished truffles, which are softer and more delicate than the types that are enrobed in hard chocolate, make perfect little gifts, as long as you keep them refrigerated. Cool room temperature is acceptable; storing them next to the radiator is not.

There are other interesting ways you can use ganache. As an "icing" for a cake, warm it gently; it should be barely pourable, but if it's not, thin it with a little cream. (If you use too much cream, it becomes a sauce.) Don't spread it on the cake, but slowly pour it over, letting it spread. Then refrigerate it for a little while so it sets.

As many adventurous chefs have done in recent years, you can flavor the basic ganache with minced orange, lemon zest, crystallized ginger or finely ground spices like cardamom or nutmeg (use tiny amounts, then taste).

You may also try steeping Earl Grey or other tea in the hot cream, or mixing the cream with a small amount of very strong coffee (say, a quarter cup), a flavored liqueur or an extract.

When adding extra liquid, use less cream or a bit more chocolate, to ensure the finished mixture is thick enough.

When it comes to the chocolate itself, look for something that ranges from 60 percent to 70 percent in cocoa solids (a higher percentage will make for a chalky ganache).

Finally, you're not limited to bittersweet chocolate. White or milk chocolate, or a blend of chocolates, will work equally well, but you should reduce the cream to three-fourths of a cup.

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