In my novel, Friends With Partial Benefits, I wrote about my main character, Brian, making the perfect breakfast in bed pancakes for Jillian, the hot mother of his best friend with whom he was completely smitten. The following is the recipe mentioned in the book, which I have perfected over the years. And below that is the recipe for the Ganache Cake. I hope you enjoy them.

F.W.P.B. “Breakfast in Bed” Perfect Super-Pancakes

Before you do anything, heat up your griddle and set the temperature to 350. If you don’t have an electric griddle use a pan on the stove and experiment with the proper setting, medium-low – medium should do it.

1 3/4 cups flour

3 tablespoons sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 whole eggs plus 1 egg whites

1/4 cup oil

1 3/4 cups milk

Mix the above dry ingredients in a large bowl with a wire whisk.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add two eggs plus one egg white (remove the yolk and throw away) and whisk them up to break the yolks without mixing them with too much of the dry ingredients.

Add the oil and milk and mix until well blended, but just until large lumps disappear. If desired add blueberries and fold gently into the batter.

Place about 1/2 tablespoon of butter on the griddle and spread it around to coat the entire

surface. Use less butter for a smaller pan.

Test Cake # 1

Drop a large spoon full of batter onto the center of the griddle and cook for several minutes until bubbles form on the top of the cake. Flip the cake, let it cook a few more minutes then move it around the griddle to soak up the excess butter on the griddle. This pancake will look like a greasy mess.

Test Cake # 2

Repeat the above steps for test cake # 2 and by this time your griddle should be at just the right temperature and the butter content should be just right to make a decent looking cake.

Adjust your temperature up or down depending on if your cakes are burning or not getting done. There is no shame in making Test Cake #3 just to be sure.

Now Make Them

Cook about 2 minutes until edges look cooked and bubbles begin on the surface. Then turn and cook another few minutes.

They should come out perfectly and you should be rewarded with more than just partial

benefits. Good luck.

 

F.W.P.B. – Chocolate Mousse Ganache Cake

Prepare a devils food cake mix in round pans.

Cut each layer in half to make four round layers.

Mousse

6-ounce package milk chocolate morsels

2 tablespoons water

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

Combine the chocolate and water in a double boiler (or steel bowl over a saucepan with a little water in it) Heat until melted while stirring occasionally. Take off heat. Let cool ten minutes or so.

Whip the cream. Mix about 1/2 cup of the whipped cream into the warm chocolate first. Stir well.

Fold the chocolate into the whipping cream just until mixed. There will be lighter and darker areas in the cream as well as small chocolate pieces.

Ganache

3/4 cup whipping cream

12-ounce package of semi sweet chocolate morsels

Heat the whipping cream in a double boiler. Add the chocolate and stir constantly until the mixture turns into a rich silky dark consistency. You’ll know when it’s ready.

Set it aside to cool for a few minutes as you prepare the cake.

Put Together the Cake

Choose the best looking layer for the top of the case and set aside.

Place one of the cake layers on a plate. Spread about a third of the mousse evenly over the layer. Place the second layer of cake over it then spread another third of the mousse. Then the third layer and the remaining mousse then top it off with the top layer. (Place the top layer upside down so that the perfectly shaped bottom is on top of the cake.

Use a knife to smooth out any oozing mouse from the sides of the layers.

Pour the slightly cooled ganache over the cake and spread out as needed.

Refrigerate for a few hours and enjoy.

Over the last few weeks I’ve received a number of messages from women readers of my Friends With… series who are informing me that my books are getting them so worked up that their husbands or boyfriends are benefiting from the state my novels are leaving
them in. In effect, my books are getting men laid. And not just five minutes of “okay let’s get it over with” sex, but real actual amazing experiment in bed, “let’s try something new” sex!

And I haven’t received a single “thank you” email from any of these men reaping all this amazing sex based on my work and I think that is completely wrong. These men should be doing more than just thanking me they should be sending me gifts. I keep selflessly giving and giving. It’s sad that I haven’t been properly thanked, but omeone has to do this, for the good of all of us.

I’ll eventually get over not being thanked and you ladies keep doing what you’re doing and spreading the word about the series. Let’s get more people reading them, get even more men laid and improve the lives of countless couples around the world. Well that’s just my crazy little dream anyway…

I’m actually really glad my series is keeping the bedroom fires burning. Sex is fun, it don’t cost nothin’ and its good exercise and I suppose Victoria said it best in book one when she told the lovely Jillian:

You go ‘around the world’ with your husband a couple times a month, and he won’t be straying. You won’t be finding yourself at an attorney’s office arguing over who gets custody of the dog.

Please note: you don’t necessarily have to go ‘around the world’, but you know what she means, just keep it interesting by throwing in a surprise every once in a while and maybe the man in your life will reciprocate.

Happy Valentine’s Day. Now go chase your husband around the bedroom or something. (If you need to read a chapter or two of one of my novels first, knock yourself out.) And I’ll get back to writing book four.

Luke Young