If you don' t know what to get your favorite sweetie for Valentine's Day, why not bake them a scrumptious pie! Here's a recipe for a red raspberry pie.

Ingredients for the pie:
4 Cups raspberries
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup Crème de Cassis (black current liqueur)
4 table spoon fresh lemon juice
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons sweet butter
3 paper-thin slices of lemon

Pie Crust:
You can buy a ready-made pie crust or please see below pie recipe for a crust recipe.

Preheat oven to 425º F.
Toss raspberries and sugar together in a mixing bowl.
Whisk Cassis and cornstarch together in a small bowl until smooth.
Stir Cassis mixture, lemon juice and salt gently into berries.
Roll out two thirds of the pastry and line the pie pan: leave edges untrimmed.
Spoon in the berries, dot with butter and arrange lemon slices overlapping slightly in the center of the berries.
Roll out remaining pastry into a 10-inch round and cut into ½ inch strips.
Arrange over berries in a lattice pattern.
Trim overhanging pastry; bring edge of lower crust over lattice and crimp edge decoratively.
Set on the middle rack of the oven and bake at 425º F for 15 minutes. Lower heat to 350º F and bake for another 30 to 40 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling.

Pie Crust:
2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) sweet butter, chilled
6 tablespoons vegetable shortening, chilled
5 to 6 tablespoons ice water as needed

Sift flour, sugar and salt into a mixing bowl.
Add chilled butter and shortening.
Working quickly and using your fingertips, rub or cut fat into dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
Sprinkle on ice water, 2 to 3 tablespoons at a time and toss with a fork.
Turn dough out onto your work surface and using the heel of your hand, smear dough away from you about ¼ cup at a time.
Scrape it up into a ball and wrap in wax paper. Chill in refrigerator for 2 hours.
Roll dough out to ¼ inch thickness on a floured work surface.
Line a 9 inch pie plate with half of the dough.

Enjoy!

Another suggestion that you can never go wrong with is to give flowers. I know of a place here in Los Angeles, that has the most beautiful flowers! It's called Larchmont Florist on 234 N. Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90004. Michelle is the owner and the telephone no: (323) 464-8146.

If you have any suggestions to share with us, please visit the message board.

Hope your Valentine's Day is a sweet one!

Love,
Melanie