Chocolate is a food group, if you ask me — and that's why I used just about any excuse to whip up chocolatey desserts. My going excuse is that the temperatures are dropping (ever so slightly, but still!) so that means I can use the oven to bake something with chocolate inside. Here are a chocolate few treats I've bookmarked lately.

I enjoy chocolate in all forms and that's why I like to have several desserts that star chocolate. The Double Chocolate Espresso Sandwich Cookies with Peanut Butter Frosting from Lovin' From The Oven sound like they would be super easy to make but your family would think you spent hours in the kitchen.

A little on the fancy side, but still easy is the Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake from Woman's Day. Layers of fudge in between layers of chocolate cake — it doesn't get much better than that.

If you're looking for an excuse to use chocolate; here are five:

• Double Chocolate Espresso Sandwich Cookies with Peanut Butter Frosting, Lovin' From The Oven
• Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake, Woman's Day
• Old Fashioned Doughnuts with Chocolate Glaze, Joy the Baker
• Chocolate Pots de Creme, Donkey and the Carrot
• 5 Ingredient Dulce de Leche and Chili Chocolate Tart, Wholesome Cook

Related: Sweet Recipe: Double Chocolate Bourbon Egg Cream

(Images: Kim of Lovin' from the Oven; Woman's Day; Joy of Joy the Baker; Donkey and the Carrot; Martyna of Wholesome Cook)