Insomnia Cookies' New Chocolate Lava Cake Is Perfect For Valentine's Day

Think chocolate makes for a trite and tacky Valentine's Day gift? Does a red heart-shaped box of nougat-filled bonbons cool your sense of romance toward any would-be admirers that would dare treat you with one? Or is it that the chocolate is just too irresistible, a temptation you'd rather have out of sight and mind? Regardless of your opinion of chocolate — and sweets in general — as it relates to Valentine's Day, it's here to stay, and with good reason.

Chocolate has been viewed as an aphrodisiac and symbol of love since it was used in ancient Mayan wedding ceremonies, explains The Sugar Association. That may be because chocolate releases dopamine, an internal neurotransmitter that summons good feelings and a sense of reward (via Daily Mail). It also causes our bodies to release dopamine, which causes the pupils to dilate and the heart to speed up, both signs associated with romantic love. One ingredient in cocoa is theobromine, which a 2015 paper published in Frontiers in Pharmacology found has a host of beneficial effects, which include heart health, increased energy, and improved mood. That makes chocolate (even if you have to buy it for yourself) not too shabby a way to seek a happy, healthy Valentine's Day.

But if a box of chocolates is still too corny for your tastes — or the tastes of your special someone — then our pick for a hot alt Valentine's Day gift may just make you melt.