The Spread

By Rachel King

 

You don’t need a hot air balloon or skywriting to give your partner the best Valentine’s Day ever (although that would be pretty cool). For a relatively easy way to surprise and impress your significant other, try baking them a decadent chocolate dessert from scratch. It will show that you care enough about them to put in a decent amount of effort while still preserving your bank account. Bonus: you both get to enjoy the treat! Here are some rich, chocolatey suggestions as to what delicacy could complete your Valentine’s Day.

1. Lava Cakes

With the delightful surprise of molten chocolate hidden inside, lava cakes are a crowd favorite and will be sure to bring a smile to your partner’s face.

2. Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

For the most minimal effort, you can make the Valentine’s Day ultimate classic: chocolate-covered strawberries. Their portability as well as their romantic nature are both huge perks.

3. Souffle

If you and your S/O are in a rut, a chocolate souffle is the perfect dish to make because it will signify to him or her that you set aside a lot of thought and preparation to make this creation for them. Results include instant forgiveness and a drama-free night.

4. Mousse

Attention all pudding lovers: mousse is essentially the upscale version of store-bought pudding! Whip some up for a fun, carefree time with your loved one that will be reminiscent of your childhood.

5. Peanut Butter Brownies

Everyone knows it’s so much easier to bake brownies from the box than from scratch – and they taste just as good, so why mess up a great thing? Remind yourselves it’s Valentine’s Day by adding some peanut butter into the traditional mix for a new favorite.

6. Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

I don’t know about you, but I rarely eat double chocolate chip cookies — always chocolate chip, never double. Try something different and make a batch of some of the most underrated, yet tastiest, of all cookies.

7. Nutella Bars

Nutella technically isn’t chocolate, but I feel justified in including it on this list because it is essentially a chocolate nut butter. Plus, these bars are to die for. With creamy Nutella stuffed inside, the sweetness can be balanced out perfectly with a glass of milk.

8. Dark Chocolate Raspberry Truffles

Name something more romantic than dark chocolate and raspberries – that’s what I thought. Savor the heavenly combination of bitter richness and refreshing sweetness with these scrumptious truffles.

9. Fondue

If even chocolate-covered strawberries are too much work, then fondue is the perfect dessert to make. All you have to do is melt chocolate, so with a recipe this simple, you have no excuse to meet up with your S/O empty-handed.

10. Fudge Pie

For some serious comfort food, fudge pie is the best way to go. With a fairly simple recipe that involves throwing everything into one mixing bowl and baking the mixture, anyone can make this dish. To dress it up, top a warm slice with ice cream and hot fudge and take this dessert to a whole new level.