That's the first thing I tried was I put the sugar in a grinder to make it the consistency of powdered sugar. So you mean blend the sugar with the milk first then add it to the rest? That will make it set more firm? I've solved the grainy problem, it's just not setting as firm as I want since I added the milk.
Cocoa powder is highly absorbent, so it will trick you into adding more milk than you might be able to get by with; whereas sugar needs only a little bit of liquid and proceeds to liquefy itself, provided that it is not coated in oil/butter. I don't know how much milk you added, but what I meant is that if you follow the above progression, you should be able to reduce it a tiny bit more and maybe get closer to your desired consistency.
Alternatively, process your coconut sugar to a finer consistency (or use mortar and pestle for the small amount) and make sure the first two ingredients that meat are indeed the sugar and the liquid component. You can mix the cocoa with the coconut oil just fine, and then combine everything.
Well, after I finally tore myself from chef steps ('cause dang, beautiful pictures) I attempted another batch. This time I gently melted the coconut oil in the saucepan, not hot, just enough to melt it. Using a whisk, I added the same amount of milk as coconut oil until it was well blended. I then added the cacao and sugar and simmered it on low for a couple of minutes. Not grainy at all. However, it didn't set as firm as when I did it without the milk. It's pretty firm and definitely passes for a very nice ganache, I think I'll try leaving on the heat longer next time. I want it like magic shell, so I think I need to do some research on working with cacao, sugar and temperatures.
That's why I'm trying measuring spoon ratios instead of measuring cup ratios until I get it right. What I've been doing is just melting the 3 ingredients together on low heat and letting it simmer for a couple of minutes. It comes out perfect other than being grainy, so why wouldn't I be able to use the same technique, except with the addition of milk?
With only coconut oil, the problem is that there is no water-soluble part of your mixture to dissolve the cacao solids and sugar to get a smooth consistency. It seems most of the dairy-free chocolate ganache recipes recommend either coconut cream or full-fat coconut milk. They will have both fat- and water soluble components to fully emulsify your sugar and cacao (which I'm assuming is raw cacao powder).
Yes it's raw cacao powder. So, what about cacao, coconut oil, coconut sugar and regular milk. It's not that I'm trying to stay away from dairy, it's more I'm trying to do a ganache with cacao, coconut oil and coconut sugar. Are you basically saying it would take very little of something that's water-soluble, whole milk, 2% milk, maybe even water? My ratio is 1 tablespoon cacao, 2 teaspoons sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons coconut oil. The ganache is coming out to a perfect consistency. Using that ratio, would I do an equal amount of sugar of a water-soluble part?
You could give it a try, but I can understand if you're wary about using up pricey ingredients for an uncertain outcome. Maybe use this page with a helpful graphic as a guide http://www.chefsteps.com/activities/science-of-ganache .
Maybe you could try mixing the coconut oil with some proportion of water/milk/cream etc., whisk it together vigoriously, and warm it in a saucepan. Then add the mixture to your cacao. After it melts, you can fold it together with a spatula.
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Maybe you could try mixing the coconut oil with some proportion of water/milk/cream etc., whisk it together vigoriously, and warm it in a saucepan. Then add the mixture to your cacao. After it melts, you can fold it together with a spatula.