Valentine’s Day is coming up which means some of you may be running around trying to decide what to do for the occasion. If you’re staying in and cooking, here are three, simple dessert sauces that can pair easily with things already in your kitchen. Sometimes, a simple and classic dessert is the best dessert. Spend less time cooking and more time with the people you love!
All of these recipes an be found in my favorite, handy-dandy sauce cookbook, The Top 100 Quick and Easy Sauces.
1. The Classic: Chocolate Fudge Sauce
Ingredients:
heaped 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
heaped 1/2 cup sugar
2 oz. good-quality semi-sweet chocolate (broken into squares)
4 tbsp. butter (diced)
3 tbsp. light corn syrup
vanilla extract (a few drops)
4 tbsp. light cream
Directions:
Grab a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the sugars, chocolate, butter, and corn syrup. Heat the mixture slowly until it is smooth. Stir continuously.
Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer over low heat for five minutes. Stir continuously.
Remove from heat.
Add the vanilla extract and cream. Mix well.
How to serve: pour this over ice cream, sliced fruit (strawberries), or baked goods (hello, double chocolate brownies!) Add some pink, red, and white jimmies for decoration. 
2. The Old-Fashioned: Butterscotch Sauce
Ingredients:
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
2/3 cup heavy cream
4 tbsp. butter (diced)
1/3 cup light corn syrup
a few drops of vanilla extract
Directions:
Place the sugar, cream, butter, and corn syrup in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan.
Heat the mixture slowly, stirring continuously, until it is smooth.
When the sauce reaches a gentle boil, remove from saucepan from the heat and add the vanilla extract.
How to Serve: use as a topping on vanilla or flavored ice cream for an old-fashioned sundae, or pour over baked or raw bananas slices.
3. Vodka anyone?: Raspberry-Vodka Coulis
Ingredients:
2 cups raspberries
1 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar (sifted)
1-2 dashes of iced vodka
Directions:
Blend the raspberries in a blender/food processor until they are pureed.
Remove the seeds by pressing the puree through a sieve. (catch the seedless puree in a bowl) Discard the seeds.
Add the sugar to the raspberry puree and stir well.
Stir in the vodka. (Add more vodka or confectioners’ sugar to taste)
How to serve: plate with berries or cobbler!
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