When the light goes long and you want dessert but not a whole production, there's the affogato.
One scoop of vanilla in a small glass. A brownie on the rim — fudgy, cool, waiting. Hot espresso poured slowly over the ice cream until it collapses into something between a drink and a pudding. You break off bits of the brownie as you go, letting them soften in the warm coffee.
Three ingredients, five minutes, and it feels like you went somewhere.
The evening doesn't need a plan. It needs a small, good thing done properly. Pour the coffee slowly — that's the whole recipe. Start with the brownies.