For Valentine's, Think Outside the Chocolate Box

Here's a little Valentine's Day secret: You can drop a couple hundred dollars at a dinner, or spend hours debating which set of earrings to get. But the gift that might be loved above all is something you make with your own two hands. So, for dessert, take the time to make something delicious, lovely and irresistible. It will be remembered.

Here are three chocolate desserts -- one each for beginner, intermediate and advanced cooks. Beginners should start with the homemade chocolate sauce; intermediate cooks can shoot for the visually stunning chocolate-covered strawberries; and if you are an advanced cook up for a challenge, try the spiced truffles.

After the gifts are given and the cards exchanged, this homemade "little something" will melt her heart. Because you made it. Just for her.

Chocolate Sauce

Makes 1 1/4 cups

Put down that Hershey's(HSY Quote - Cramer on HSY - Stock Picks) bottle! For an indulgent homemade chocolate sauce, you need only two ingredients: quality chocolate chips and cream. Serve drizzled on cake or ice cream.

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup cream

Put chips and cream in a medium microwave-safe bowl, and heat in the microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Remove from the microwave and whisk gently until chocolate and cream are thoroughly combined. If you need to heat the mixture longer, depending on the strength of your microwave, do so in 15-second increments. Keep covered in the refrigerator for one week; reheat before serving.

Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

Makes 20 to 25 pieces

You won't find chocolate-covered strawberries in a grocery store, and you can't order them in a restaurant; you have to make them.

8 ounces white chocolate chips
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vegetable shortening
1 quart whole strawberries (stem on, if possible)

Place white chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl with 1/2 teaspoon of vegetable shortening. Repeat with bittersweet chocolate chips. Place bowls in microwave, and cook for 30 seconds at a time. Use a fork to stir the chips; continue cooking, 15 to 30 seconds at a time, until the chocolate sauce is pourable. Take care not to burn the chocolate; if you do, start again.

Cover a large cookie sheet or plate with parchment or wax paper. Dip strawberries in chocolate sauce, and let excess chocolate drip off before laying the coated berries on the prepared pan. Let the chocolate harden a bit, approximately 10 minutes, and drizzle the other chocolate on the coated strawberry, using the tines of a fork. Cool at room temperature until hardened; refrigerate if necessary.

Spiced Chocolate Truffles

Makes about 24 truffles

Chocolate likes to melt, so this recipe is for the ambitious. Cold hands and thin plastic gloves make the process less messy. Your effort will be rewarded.

For Truffles:
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 (11.5-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder (optional)

For Coating:
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

Put cream and chips in a microwave-safe medium bowl, and heat until melty, about 1 minute and 30 seconds, depending on the strength of your microwave. Whisk gently until chocolate and cream are combined. Add the vanilla and cayenne powder, if desired, and stir until smooth. Refrigerate until firm but not hard, about 1 hour.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a tablespoon or a 3/4-ounce mini-ice cream scoop, divide the chocolate mixture into 24 portions, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate until they are firm enough to handle, about 15 minutes.

Individually roll each portion in your hands to create small balls. Place the cocoa in a deep dish or pie plate; place the sugar and cinnamon, if desired, in a second deep dish. Roll the balls in the coating of your choice. Store the truffles in a sealed plastic container in the refrigerator. Serve at room temperature.