Baking and Cooking Blog – Evil Shenanigans

Beef Shawarma Meatballs

Not long ago I had lunch at a little Lebanese restaurant and I discovered some really wonderful new dishes. One of these was shawarma, a meat mixture that is marinated in a spice blend, placed on a spit, and slowly grilled.  It is sliced thin and served with pita and other fresh garnishes.  It is [...]

Coconut Mango Rice Pudding

What do you do when you have a mango approaching over-ripeness and a half a can of coconut milk? I don’t know about you, but I turn it into rice pudding!   Mango and coconut are a perfect flavor match.  I love, for example, chunks of ripe mango with some toasted coconut scattered over the top.  [...]

Coconut Curry Shrimp with Spicy Peanut Noodles

When I get a craving for something I want instant satisfaction. Ask anyone who had ever accompanied me to an amusement park, waited with me in line, or sat with me while we waited for a table at a restaurant.  Patience is not one of my virtues.  In fact, I get down right testy when [...]

Strawberry Nutella Crumb Bars

“Success is sweet and sweeter if long delayed and gotten through many struggles and defeats.” — Amos Bronson Alcott I do not often discuss the struggles I go through testing and re-testing recipes because I am not sure how interesting my development process is to you all.  Some recipes come together with one try, but [...]

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Summer is in full swing, and that means in North Texas it is HOT, HOT, HOT! I am loathe to turn on the oven or stand over the stove when the temps are pushing 100F, but that does not mean I eat nothing but cold sandwiches and salads.  Oh no, what it means is instead [...]

Cornbread Pudding

Now matter how hard I try to restrain myself, when it comes to holidays I always make too  much food. The 4th of July is no exception.  Since we typically have some sort of smoked meat on the 4th, usually of the pork variety, I feel compelled to make a big batch of cornbread to [...]

Golden Syrup Oatmeal Chip Cookies

It has been a little while since I made a batch of cookies, and it has also been a while since I used my beloved Golden Syrup.  Quel nightmare! So, when the inevitable cookie craving struck the other day I went directly to the pantry to see what was available.  I had already decided on [...]

Blueberry Crumb Muffins

All too often blueberry muffins are a disappointment. Blueberry muffin recipes are often too dry, not fluffy enough, stained violet, or all the berries sink to the bottom.   The struggle for the perfect blueberry muffin led me through a gauntlet of unhappiness and bad muffins, but I am happy to report that I won the [...]

Mini-Vegetable Quiche

Before we begin I have some exciting news!  My Beef Empinadas recipe was selected as a finalist in the Ro*Tel Across America contest!  Voting is open and you can vote for your favorite recipe here! I am a big fan of quiche.  If made properly it is the perfect balance of crust and eggy, cheesy [...]

Chocolate Cardamom Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

When I’m feeling under the weather I tend to hibernate and stay out of the kitchen.  Once I begin to feel better I get the itch to bake. If you follow me on Twitter (@BakingBlog) you know that I caught a nasty bug last week and it knocked me out for about four days.  Now [...]