It’s almost here — Valentine’s Day! Roses and chocolate says it all on this day.

If you want to go all out and make your special someone a special dessert, here are recipes for two of my favorite chocolate desserts.

Both deserts are easy to make, one served cold and one served warm.

This first dessert is also delicious made with butterscotch pudding and Heath bar bits sprinkled on top.

Be sure the bottom layer is cool before adding the others.

Chocolate delight

1 cup flour

1 stick butter

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup Cool whip

8 ounces cream cheese, room temp

2 small boxes instant chocolate pudding

3 cups milk

extra Cool Whip for topping

Hershey’s chocolate bar

 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together flour, butter and nuts and press ingredients into the bottom of a 13 by 9 glass baking dish.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes and then let cool

In a mixing bowl cream together the powdered sugar and cream cheese.

Then blend in the cup of Cool Whip and spread mixture over cooled crust.

In a small bowl mix together the pudding and milk, then layer on the above layers.

Spread extra Cool Whip on the top and grate chocolate bar on top.

Store covered in the refrigerator.

My family likes this with a small scoop of ice cream served on top of it, and I prefer freshly whipped cream.

 

Baked fudge

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1 cup chopped nuts

2 teaspoons vanilla

 

Cram the eggs and sugar together with an electric mixer.

Add in the melted butter.

Sift together the cocoa and the flour and add to the mixture.

Stir in the nuts and vanilla.

Pour into a lightly greased 9 by 13 pan.

Set this pan in a pan of water and bake on 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour, until crusty on top and soft in the middle.

If you don’t have a pan that your 9 by 13 pan will set into, you can do one of two things.

You can place the mixture into two smaller pans and place them in water, or you can place a pan of hot water right under the 9 by 13 pan.

With the last method your baked fudge won’t be as soft in the middle but it will still be delicious.

Serve this with ice cream or freshly whipped cream.

 

Christina Hall writes a weekly lifestyle column. She can be reached at christina.hall@natchezdemocrat.com.