How Guylian Belgian Chocolate Can Make Summer 2021 Memorable and Tasty!

Summer 2021 is going to be amazing! After months of being cooped up, there’s now an opportunity to break the monotony and treat your loved ones. One of the best ways to do this is by making super-delicious desserts, and the one special ingredient you should be adding is Guylian Belgian Chocolate.

Cards on the table, we love Guylian Belgian Chocolate! The past twelve months has enabled us to dust off our cooking skills and start baking. One of the ingredients my wife would say we’ve overused somewhat is chocolate. You can consider it being biased solely featuring Guylian in this article, and you’d be absolutely correct! If you haven’t tried it yourself, then take our word for it; it’s delicious!

After more social distancing than anyone would have ever expected, the peoples of the United Kingdom can get back to some form of outdoor entertainment. The essential ingredients for this are good company, excellent food and in some cases a nice drink.

For this article, we’re looking at some of the delicious desserts you can make with Guylian Belgian Chocolate and all of which are ideal for special occasions, alfresco lunches, dinner, picnics and the forthcoming Father’s Day.

Chocolate Eton Mess by Jane Saunders @jane_littlesugarsnaps
Created in partnership with the talented Jane Saunders, this recipe for Chocolate Eton Mess gives the British classic a delightful makeover. Homemade meringues flavoured with chocolate and hazelnuts paired with fresh raspberries, cream and the crowning glory, a creamy hazelnut praliné Guylian Sea Shells.

Ingredients:

(Makes enough for 6)

• Two egg whites (medium)
• 125g caster sugar
• ½ tsp cider or white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp finely grated chocolate
• 50g hazelnuts (blanched)
• 450g raspberries
• 450ml double cream
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• 6 Guylian Sea Shell or Sea Horse chocolates

The Method:

• Preheat the oven to 120C/ 250F/ Gas Mark 0.5 and line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment.
• Finely chop the hazelnuts.
• Mix half the cocoa into the caster sugar (sieve the cocoa if it is lumpy).
• Whisk the egg whites using an electric beater in a medium-sized bowl until foamy. Beat in the vinegar, followed by the cornflour, then continue to beat until the whites form firm peaks.
• Add the sugar mix to the egg whites a dessert spoon at a time, beating continuously (this will take 2-3 minutes). Once all the sugar has been added, keep beating the eggs for a further minute, you’ll know when you’ve got it right, as the mixture should be thick and glossy.
• Sieve the remaining cocoa powder into the bowl and scatter half of the hazelnuts onto the top. Use a large metal spoon to fold them through briefly, then add half of the grated chocolate and fold through again.
• Spoon the mixture into a large piping bag fitted with a wide star nozzle and pipe 12 rosettes approx—4 cm in diameter onto the baking sheet. Use the remaining meringue to pipe as many 2cm diameter rosettes as possible—Scatter 1 tsp of the grated chocolate over the rosettes.
• Bake in the oven for 40 minutes. The smaller meringues will be crisp throughout by this stage, but the large meringues will have a little chewy softness inside of them, adding extra texture to the final dessert. Set aside to cool.
• Take half of the raspberries and place them in a fine-meshed sieve suspended over a bowl. Add 1 tbsp of icing sugar and use a metal dessert spoon to press the fruit through the sieve to form a coulis. Keep on pressing until all of the pulp has fallen through the sieve into the bowl and just the seeds are left behind. Scrape the back of the sieve into the bowl and stir the sauce well.
• Put the cream into another bowl along with the remaining icing sugar and the vanilla bean paste. Whip until soft peaks form.
• Gather six serving glasses and layer up the dessert, starting with a little cream, a few fresh raspberries, a drizzle of the raspberry coulis, a few chopped hazelnuts and some meringue rosettes. Keep on layering up until all of the ingredients have been used up. Garnish with the remaining grated chocolate and a Guylian Sea Shell or Sea Horse Chocolate.

These desserts are best served immediately but can be stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes prior to serving to take the chill off and let the flavours come through.

Triple Chocolate Panna Cotta by Rachel Phipps @missrachelphipps
This easy yet impressive Triple Chocolate Panna Cotta with layers of milk, white and dark chocolate is made extra special with the finishing touch of a Guylian Sea Horse for an elegant but super simple make-ahead dessert.

Ingredients:

(Makes enough for 6)

• For the Milk Chocolate Layer
• 175ml double cream
• 60ml semi-skimmed milk
• 30g golden caster sugar
• 30g milk chocolate (approx. 35% cocoa solids)
• One leaf platinum grade gelatine
• For the White Chocolate Layer
• 175ml double cream
• 60ml semi-skimmed milk
• 30g golden caster sugar
• 30g white chocolate
• One leaf platinum grade gelatine
• For the Dark Chocolate Layer
• 175ml double cream
• 60ml semi-skimmed milk
• 20g golden caster sugar
• 40g dark chocolate (approx. 70% cocoa solids)
• One leaf platinum grade gelatine
• 6 x Guylian Sea Horse chocolates

The Method:

1. Start with the milk chocolate layer. Combine the cream, milk and sugar in a small saucepan. Gently warm it over medium-high heat until very, very hot but not quite boiling. Meanwhile, finely chop the chocolate and leave the gelatine leaf to soak in a small dish of ice-cold water.
2. Whisk the chocolate until fully melted, and no bits remain. Switch to a heatproof spatula to make sure there are no large pieces of chocolate stuck to the bottom.
3. Squeeze any excess liquid out of the gelatine sheet – now, it should be soft and totally limp. Stir it into the chocolate mixture until dissolved. Use the spatula to do this, as the whisk will create bubbles that will be captured in your panna cotta.
4. Divide the chocolate mix between 6 small glasses (I used measuring scales to ensure even layers) and chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
5. Once the milk chocolate layer is set (it should have a bit of wibble but be solid, not liquid), repeat with the white chocolate layer. When it comes to pouring the hot chocolate mix over the cooled milk chocolate layer, pour it on as fast as you can to keep even layers.
6. Once you have added the dark chocolate layer, chill for at least another 2 hours. Remove from the fridge for 1 hour before adding the finishing touch of a Guylian Sea Horse chocolate just before serving.

Chocolate Victoria Sponge with Fresh Cream by Majella @pavlovaandcream.
This is pretty much the perfect sweet treat to share with friends and family alike.

Ingredients:

(Enough to serve 8)

• 225g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 225g caster sugar
• 175g self-raising flour
• 50g dark or milk cocoa powder
• Four medium eggs
• 250 ml double cream
• 100g cherry jam
• 8 Guylian Sea Horse chocolates
• Edible flowers if required
• Equipment required:
• 2 x 20cm sandwich tins
• Piping bag and tips

The Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°c or gas mark 4.
2. Lightly grease 2 x 20cm 8-inch sandwich tins.
3. Cream together the butter and the sugar.
4. Gradually beat in the eggs one by one. If the mixture starts to curdle, sieve in a tablespoon of flour.
5. Using a metal spoon, fold in the rest of the sieved flour and cocoa powder.
6. Divide the mixture between the two tins and bake for approx twenty-five minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch. Remove from oven and leave to cool for about 25 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.
7. If your bottom layer is slightly raised, trim the raised part to make it even all over. Spread a layer of jam 2-3mm thick on the bottom base. (A knife is useful for this).
8. Whisk the cream until quite stiff and put it into the piping bag. A handy tip is to place the piping bag over a tall glass while you fill it up.
9. For the top layer, evenly pipe eight rosettes on the outer edge of the layer. Place a Guylian Sea Horse on top of each one of the rosettes. To add a splash of colour, you can add edible flowers.
10. For the middle, pipe the remaining cream on top of the jam layer. Gently place the top layer on top of the bottom.
11. Serve and enjoy. Due to the fresh cream, this cake is best eaten within 24 hours.

Where to get Guylian Belgian Chocolate?

For family and friends both near and far, the full range of Guylian gifts and goodies is readily available both in stores (all major supermarkets, high street retailers and convenience stores) and online at .