Oh, the Valentine’s Day dilemmas we face of what to get for that special someone.

Jewelry or chocolate? An electrical appliance (absolutely not) or chocolate? Well obviously, my choice would be chocolate. But as one reader recently pointed out, not everyone likes or can tolerate chocolate in their diet.

I realize now how taste-centric I’ve been. Repentant? Not really because chocolate will always be my first love. However, I would like to apologize to those who don’t care for anything that comes from the cocoa bean by coming up with luscious non-chocolate (you have no idea how hard it was to type that) desserts for your sweetie, or anyone else you want to impress on Tuesday with your culinary expertise.

Raspberry Cake

1/4 pound white chocolate chips

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 eggs

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup raspberry preserves, heated

2 to 3 cups sweetened whipped cream or whipped topping

2 pints fresh raspberries

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans and set them aside. In a double boiler melt the white chocolate chips. Place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until smooth. Slowly add the melted chocolate until completely combined. Continue beating and add the eggs, one at a time. Add the sugar and then the flour. Pour batter in the prepared pans. Gently drop teaspoons of the warm preserves on the top of the cake batter and then swirl it with a toothpick. Make sure to just swirl it slightly, not too much. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. When the cake is cooked, cool completely before removing them to a cooling rack. To serve, place one cake on a cake plate, top with 1/2 the whipped cream and 1 pint of raspberries. Place the second cake on top. Top with remaining whipped cream and berries. Serve immediately.

Serves 14 to 16.

Super Easy Banana Blueberry Pie

One pie for your sweetheart, the other for you.

8 ounce package softened cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 cups sweetened whipped cream

4 firm bananas (2 for each pie), sliced

2 cooked pie shells

21-ounce can blueberry pie filling

Extra bananas and sweetened whipped cream for garnish

In a bowl of an electric mixer combine the cream cheese and sugars; beat until smooth. Fold in the whipped cream and chopped bananas by hand. Spoon the mixture into the baked pie crusts. Spread the tops of the banana cream mixture with the blueberry pie filling. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Garnish with additional whipped cream and bananas. Makes 2 pies. Serves 16.

Lemon Bars

For the crust:

1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups flour

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

For the lemon layer:

6 jumbo eggs at room temperature

2 1/2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons)

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup flour

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.

For the crust: Cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into the greased baking sheet, building up a 1/2 -inch edge on all sides. Chill for at least 1 hour then bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

For the lemon layer: Whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or about five minutes beyond the point where the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature. Cut into rectangles and dust with confectioners’ sugar.