chocolate

Want to make sure your message is well received? Then send it in Thorntons chocolates!

Alphabet Truffles were launched in September and are already the fastest selling gift at Thorntons.
- probably because they can be so uniquely personalised.

Try it out our on-screen keyboard for yourself at www.thorntons.co.uk and in the meantime here are a few facts about our amazing truffles:

* Alphabet Truffles are great for bringing people together - since launching, Thorntons has delivered 112 marriage proposals on Alphabet Truffles. Additionally over 3000 boxes have included the word 'love'.

* Over two thousand messages including the word 'birthday' have been sent - the most popular birthday for Alphabet Truffles is '40th' and the oldest person to have been sent a box of Alphabet Truffles is 100 years of age.

* People in Birmingham just love sending chocolate messages - since launch, most messages have been delivered to this region.

* Nice but not naughty - we let you ice within reason what you'd like, but please remember when creating your message that these chocolates are hand-iced!

Find out more about Alphabet Truffles

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Do you fight over who gets the Viennese Truffle?

Does 'someone' eat all of the Champagne Truffles before you even get the chance to try one?!

Luckily Thorntons has the solution with our online servery that allows you to create a box filled with your (or their!) favourite chocolates. Our servery is truly for everyone and, since it was launched, we've created thousands of unique boxes filled with chocolates individually chosen by you - our customer. And it's so easy to do...

1. Select a box
Various styles are available, from our male focused 'Stripey' design to our most popular 'Red Rose' box, and you can choose to fill them with 8, 16, 32 or 64 chocolates

2. Select your chocolates
Choose your favourites from our most popular chocolates, including Viennese Truffles, Sicilian Lemon Mousses and Champagne Truffles. Or, if you can't decide, let our Master Chocolatier select them for you!

3. Let us deliver it direct (even if it's for you!)

- Aztec Indian legend believed that cacao seeds originated in Paradise and would bless anyone who ate them with spiritual wisdom, energy and enhanced sexual powers.

- Did you know that in the fifteenth century chocolate was prescribed as a medicine to boost the weakened body?

CHOCOLATE BROWNIES
A delicious treat for any time of the day. You can choose to serve these hot, straight from the oven with vanilla ice cream, or cool with a steaming mug of cappuccino or hot chocolate!
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Difficulty rating: easy
Makes: approximately 16 finger bars or 8 larger squares
Cooking time: 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS
200g butter
200g Thorntons Dark Chocolate (2 x 100g bars)
3 medium eggs
250g caster sugar
112g plain flour - sieved
125g walnuts - coarsely chopped
½ tsp salt
½ tsp vanilla essence

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to gas mark 4/170OC/350OF. For fan assisted ovens, adjust temperature accordingly. Line a deep baking tin with greaseproof paper.

2. Melt the butter and chocolate together by placing a glass bowl over simmering water until melted, or in a microwave on high for 1 minute

3. Using an electric mixer beat together the eggs and sugar for approximately 2-3 minutes until pale. Add the melted chocolate and mix well until blended.

4. Add the flour, salt, chopped nuts and vanilla essence to the mixture and stir until all ingredients are incorporated and there are no lumps.

5. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 35 minutes. The top will looked cracked and flaky - this is normal!

6. Turn out from the tin, cut into squares and leave to cool, or serve straight from the oven.