Three Chocolate Ways to say 'I Love you'

Flowers are pretty, a card is a nice but there's something about chocolate that speaks volumes. For many foodie hearts, chocolate is the language of love on Valentine's Day.

Here are three tasty ways to say "I love you."

Chocolate-Covered Salted Caramel Cups

When I clicked on this recipe, these little beauties beckoned to me from my computer screen. I knew I had to make them, and Valentine's Day was the perfect excuse.

Although candy can be intimidating to make, the hardest part of this recipe is finding and buying the candy paper cups. I found these at Michael's, but your grocery store might carry the mini cupcake liners, which will work as well.

If the kids want to participate, "painting" the cups with chocolate is fun, or they can use a baby spoon to fill the chocolate cups with caramel. I made dulce de leche from sweetened condensed milk, which involves opening the can, pouring it into a dish and putting the dish into the oven for an hour.

The candy recipe calls for salted peanuts, but I only had walnuts, which were delicious. Hazelnuts, almonds or even Rice Crispies would work just as well to add a bit of crunch to the gooey caramel center. But don't forget the salt on top. It really makes it.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

This recipe is a welcome twist on the whoopie pie. The cocoa cookies are crisp and the peanut butter has a cream cheese base, which makes for a thick and not overly sweet creamy filling.

This easy recipe uses a box of Devil's food cake tweaked for the cookie dough. My kids loved rolling the dough into balls. While the cookies bake, make the filling and let it sit while the cookies cool. These steps can even be done ahead, and the cookies assembled the next day.

For an added sweetheart touch, press heart-shaped chocolates into the warm cookies when you take them out of the oven.

Chocolate Cream Pie

Although this is the most time-consuming of these three recipes, it also may be the most rewarding. The chocolate wafer crust offers a crisp bottom for the decadent chocolate pudding topped with the cloud of freshly whipped cream.

The homemade stovetop custard is what makes this pie irresistible. The custard is flavored with melted chocolate and vanilla, with a chunk of butter whisked in for a smooth, rich finish. Instant pudding pies cannot compare to this classic dessert.

However, you celebrate Feb. 14, these treats can make your day a little sweeter. If you're still craving some chocolate, check out the in Oxford or sponsored in part by Woodbury's New Morning.