Don’t they all look delicious? I wish I could say they were cupcakes made by me, but they’re not, not a one of them. But, looking at them reminds me of my friend, Penny. She passed away over the weekend and…

She loved to bake. I mean, every time I would go by the house she shared with her husband and daughter along the St. John’s River in northeast Florida, she would be baking something. Mike, her husband, was the cook. Penny was the baker. And their daughter, my daughter, my family, all our friends were always the recipients of her baked goods.

And, she loved Paula Deen recipes. The Food Network, too. They had a small wall mounted flat screen television in the kitchen that was only slightly bigger than my walk in closet and it was always tuned to the Food Network. Emeril, Bobby, Sara, Mario, Giada, Rachel, and yes, Paula.

It was Penny that first turned me on to Paula Deen’s Not Yo’ Mama’s Banana Pudding with Chessman cookies rather than vanilla wafers. Gooey Butter Cake. Both of which I have made a multitude of times over the years.

Penny also made the best chocolate crinkle cookies. I have torn my cookbook shelves apart looking for the recipe Penny had written down for me a few years ago and so far, I haven’t found it. It’s like losing her more than once, with each piece of paper I turn over only to discover it’s not the one I’m looking for.

I wasn’t a very good friend over the last few years. We had lost touch. Penny wasn’t one to use the internet for anything beyond printing out recipes and I did always ask my daughter when she talked to their daughter to please say hello for us. But, that wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough. I should have done more; a letter, a phone call. But I didn’t and I can’t now except to tell her husband how very sorry we are for his loss, except to cry with her daughter who is a teenager just like mine.

So, I’ve done the next best thing I can think of to honor her. I’ve baked Paula’s Gooey Butter Cake. I’ve tweaked it for my household because I’ve had to. With my husband’s diabetes and my Weight Watcher’s, I’ve adjusted some of the ingredients. The thing about this cake, is that there are so many variations on the theme. Just change a few things out and you’ve got a whole different cake. Most people love the pumpkin, some love the chocolate…

I’ve posted the recipe below as it is on Paula Deen’s website and I’ve listed my changes, as well. Below that, I’ve listed the Weight Watcher’s recipe for Lemon Squares that I baked a couple of weeks ago and that people have asked me about. They were delicious, tangy and tart, and perfect.

Gooey Butter Cake

Cake:
1 18 1/4-ounce package yellow cake mix (I used a reduced sugar yellow cake mix)
1 egg (I used 1/4 cup fat-free egg substitute)
8 tablespoons butter, melted (I used 8 tablespoons light stick butter)

Filling:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened (I used Neufchatel Cheese/Light Cream Cheese)
2 eggs (I used 1/2 cup fat-free egg substitute)
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted (I used 4 tablespoons light stick butter and two mashed bananas)
1 16-ounce box powdered sugar

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer.  Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.  Prepare Filling

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter and beat together.

Next, add the powdered sugar and mix well.  Spread over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes.  Make sure not to over bake as the center should be a little gooey.

Now, her website says serves 6-8. Not in a 13 x 9-inch pan it doesn’t. I cut the 24 squares in mine, so, mine serve 24. They’re not big squares, but this is a rich cake, so you can’t eat a whole lot all at once! And with the bananas, it tastes like banana pudding.

Making the substitutes that I did, it is about 5 points on the Weight Watcher’s points system.

Weight Watcher’s Lemon Squares

1 cup all-purpose flour (I used 2/3 cup white whole wheat flour and 1/3 cup oat flour)
1/3 cup sifted powder sugar
1/3 cup chilled stick butter, light, cut into small pieces
Cooking Spray
1 cup granulated sugar (I used 1/2 cup Splenda blend instead)
1 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 T all-purpose flour (I used white whole wheat again)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon butter extract or vanilla extract
3 large egg whites (I used the equivalent of egg white substitute)
1 large egg (I used 1/4 cup fat-free egg substitute)
2 Tablespoons powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine first two ingredients; cut in light butter with a pastry blender or food processor until mixture is crumbly. Press firmly into bottom of an 11×7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
3. Combine granulated sugar and next 8 ingredients; stir with a whisk until blended and pour over pre-baked, slightly cooled crust. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until set. Let cool on wire rack. Cut into squares, and sift 2 tablespoons powdered sugar over bars.

It said it makes 24 bars, but I don’t know how. I was only able to cut 15 out of mine. So instead of the 2 points the cookbook says, it’s about 3. This was taken from the Weight Watcher’s cookbook All Things Sweet.

I hope all of you are having a wonderful week so far. I must get back to writing.

~lissa

I have been working my tail off on Jaz’s book. I had planned to end it about 7000 words ago but, it doesn’t seem to be working like that, so, I’m still plugging away at it.

Not that it’s a chore mind you, it’s just… there are people out there that are waiting for me to finish it. Myself included, plus my editor (patient lovely woman she is), a few book bloggers, and practically all my readers. Poor Dallon didn’t get a whole lot of love, even though he was one kinky SOB.

Jaz though, I’m hoping that Jaz will attract the same kind of delicious frenzy that Vinter did in the beginning and in the resurgence since he’s gained some new…fans.

Being that it’s Friday and all, I though I’d try to appease a few of the Vinter followers/lusters/…sluts by posting a little, a very very little snippet (and please understand this is unedited) from Jaz’s book… So, here we go…

Snippet:

Mandi couldn’t help but blush, feeling the heat creep up her neck. She couldn’t stop herself from glancing around for Jaz, either. Her eyes locked onto his from across the room and how the hell she read what his look said, she’d never know.

He was in front of her before she caught her breath and didn’t even give her the chance to excuse herself from the conversation she’d been having. He had her down the back hallway with his mouth on hers, his tongue between her lips, her body hiked up the wall and her legs wrapped around him…

Damn, but he took her breath away.

“You can’t look at me like that,” he growled at her.

“Like what?”

“Like you can’t get enough.”

“Well, I can’t, but I didn’t think that’s what that look said.”

“Trust me, that’s exactly what that look said.”

“Okay, so does that mean I can’t look at you at all, then? Cause I’m pretty sure I always look at you like I can’t get enough.”

Jaz laughed and thrust upward slightly, rubbing his hard cock against the crotch of her jeans. Damn they both had way too many clothes on.

“You’re doing it again.”

“Maybe you should blindfold me.”

“Maybe I should. And tie you up.”

Desire flowed like lava through her veins. “Maybe you should.”

“I still owe you birthday spankings.”

“Yes you do.”

“Damn woman.” He buried his face in her neck and licked at the pulse throbbing there.

She quivered in his arms and rocked her hips. She wanted him. Now. Would anyone see? Would anyone notice? Would she give a crap if they did? “Damn man.”

“Damn you two. We got a show to do for the lady. Let her down, you animal. You can maul her later.”

They both looked up and found Vinter standing at the end of the hall. He was shirtless and his jeans rode indiscreetly low on his hips. He wore a pair of black boots and had Jaz not been holding her up against the wall, she’d have certainly melted into the floor.

She’d known Vinter had tats but she never knew they covered him everywhere. At least everywhere she could see at the moment. They were so brightly colored and so detailed. Both his nipples were pierced and the man was nothing but pure, walking sex.

No wonder Elise blushed the color of a fire engine when Mandi had asked what Vinter did. She’d meant for work though, but, maybe that didn’t really matter given the man’s…magnetism.

Vinter winked at her, shot a look of knowing and a scowl at Jaz, and walked away.

“Is it true what they say?”

“About what?”

“You know, about him. About all the piercings up and down his…penis.” She whispered the last word and it made her feel kind of naughty thinking about it, however brief and fleeting the thought.”

“I am not discussing some other man’s dick with you.”

Vinter was out of sight. “I was just curious. It’s not like I can ask Elise about it.”

“Oh but you can ask the man you’re sleeping with about it? Shit. And stop staring after him. Remember girlie, he’s taken.”

Mandi could barely contain the smile threatening to spill over her lips at the grousing from Jaz. As if he could doubt her lust for him. “I know he is.”

“Well, then put your tongue back in your mouth.”

She turned her head to look back at Jaz. There was laughter and heat in his eyes and not a bit of censure. “Why don’t I put it back in your mouth?”

Y’all enjoy your weekend!

~lissa