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Happy Valentine's Day!

In case you might still be looking for a last-minute treat to bake for your darlings, here's a little round-up of my favorite chocolate delights that are, for the most part, easy to whip up with what you've got in your pantry already (or that you could get on an emergency run to the store or gas station, if you live in Germany where stores are closed on Sunday).

I'm still undecided on what to make, though I'm leaning heavily towards these tahini brownies. Better get cracking!

Evelyn Sharpe's French Chocolate Cake – This is the best nearly flourless cake I know. Rich and intense, it's definitely for grown-ups.

Karen DeMasco's Devil's Food Cupcakes – Gorgeous little cupcakes with a thin cap of chocolate icing and a cream middle. A lovely baking project and sure to please your littlest Valentines.

Jane Hornsby's Malted Chocolate Birthday Cake – This may be labeled birthday cake, but if you bake it in a heart-shaped pan instead, hey presto, you've got an easy, totally satisfying chocolate Valentine's cake. Don't skip the frosting!

Barbara Fairchild's Chocolate-Toffee Cookies – Imagine a brownie-like cookie, but stuffed with bits of crunchy toffee and walnuts. I know.

Bret Thompson's Double Chocolate Cookies – These excellent cookies call for a whopping 1 1/4 pounds of chocolate.

Deb Perelman's Intensely Chocolate Sablés – Easy to whip up with what are probably staples in your pantry. I recommend adding a drop of peppermint extract to the dough to make Thin Mint facsimiles.

Le Pain Quotidien's Belgian Brownies – These tender, almost creamy little cakelets come from the way-back depths of the blog, but have definitely held up over time.

Alice Medrich's Best Cocoa Brownies – This is basically the only brownie recipe we ever use, because it's easy and classic and reliable and never fails to satisfy everyone.

Ashley Rodriguez's Bittersweet Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting – The brownies are good on their own, but the silky swaths of peanut butter frosting on top take these into total romance territory.