holiday favorite

berry pavlova sitting on a baking sheet with parchment paper

Berry Pavlova

slice of pistachio loaf on a cutting board with the rest of the loaf in the background

Pistachio Loaf

mixed berry fool in a glass with a strawberry and mint garnish on top

Mixed Berry Fool

overhead shot of slices of pear coffee cake

Pear Coffee Cake

close up of a piece of chocolate hzelnut toffee with chopped hazelnuts sitting beside it

Chocolate Hazelnut Toffee

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CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado

cubes of everything focaccia on a serving plater

Everything Focaccia

bread· snacks
January 9, 2024

Everything Focaccia – Homemade focaccia dough is topped with everything seasoning (salt, poppyseeds, sesame seeds, and onion) and baked to perfection. A recipe for scallion cream cheese is also included! Today’s recipe is a fresh take on a classic focaccia bread. I have long-loved a yummy focaccia, like this rosemary and olive oil version or this tomato pesto version. Recently,…
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monte cristo pinwheel dipping in raspberry jam

Monte Cristo Pinwheels

appetizer· sandwiches & wraps· snacks· Tailgating Recipes
January 5, 2024

Monte Cristo Pinwheels – Puff pastry dough is rolled with black forest ham and Swiss cheese and baked to perfection. The pinwheels get dusted with powdered sugar and served with raspberry jam for dipping. Monte Cristo sandwiches are super fun – I mean how can you not love a ham and cheese sandwich, batter and fried, and served with raspberry…
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cranberry oat bagels sitting together on a white towel

Cranberry Oat Bagels

bread
January 1, 2024

Cranberry Oat Bagels – Whole wheat bagels are sweetened with honey and sprinkled with dried cranberries throughout and whole oats on top. Happy New Year! Today’s recipe is just what you need to let go of the sugary, fatty foods you loaded up on in December and start yourself on a healthier journey (at least until Valentine’s Day). This Cranberry…
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autumn kale salad in a blue salad bowl

Autumn Kale Salad

appetizer· Fall Flavors· Holiday Favorites· salad
December 15, 2023

Autumn Kale Salad – Chopped kale with roasted sweet potato, pearl couscous, pecans, dried cranberries, and sliced onion, all tossed together with a maple citrus vinaigrette. Autumn may be past us now, but that’s not stopping me from enjoying all those flavors! I love sweet potatoes, cranberries, and pecans in a salad (as is evident by previous salads that I’ve…
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a short glass with a gold rim filled with cherry bourbon spritz and a garnish of rosemary twig

Cherry Bourbon Spritz

drinks· Holiday Favorites· Valentine's Day
December 8, 2023

Cherry Bourbon Spritz – Sweet cherries are smashed with lemon juice and bourbon and then finished with a little cherry sparkling water. Happy Friday! It’s only fitting that I send you into the weekend with a new holiday drink. This one is made with bourbon, which, along with mezcal, has been a popular hard liquor lately. The Old-fashioned is the…
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whole nutella cream pie shot from an overhead angle

Nutella Cream Pie

dessert· Holiday Favorites· pie· Valentine's Day
December 5, 2023

Nutella Cream Pie – This no-bake pie is made with Nutella, cream cheese, and whipped topping and then filled in an Oreo pie crust. Nutella is a miracle ingredient. I really don’t use it enough. When added to pastry, it can make incredible breakfast treats. Spread it on waffles with a little fruit, and you’ve got a fancy snack. For…
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photo of two glasses of sangria with the pitcher in the background

Cranberry Apple Sangria

drinks· Fall Flavors· Holiday Favorites
November 27, 2023

Cranberry Apple Sangria – Tempranillo wine mixed with brandy, apple cider, cranberry juice, and ginger ale and served with diced apples and cranberries I looooove sangria. One of my favorite restaurants is a tapas bar with the most incredible red sangria. If I’m not careful. I can finish off the pitcher all by myself! I have made many different types…
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Hi, my name is Sharon. I’m an accountant by day, risk-taking baker and food enthusiast by night. Come join me as I share my favorite recipes and test out new ones along the way!

fall flavors

zoomed in shot of a bowl of sweet potato gnocchi, shot from a side angle

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Browned Butter

close up pork chops on a plate with Dijon apple pan sauce on top and a rosemary garnish

Dijon Apple Pork Chops

autumn kale salad in a blue salad bowl

Autumn Kale Salad

overhead shot of cheddar crusted apple pie with lattice crust

Cheddar Crusted Apple Pie

overhead shot of pumpkin churros on a plate of cinnamon sugar

Pumpkin Churros

zoomed in shot of a plate of stacked chocolate gingerbread truffles with one with a bite out of it, shot from a side angle

Chocolate Gingerbread Truffles

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Woah guys, I need to talk to you about these Choco Woah guys, I need to talk to you about these Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake Pops!

So this recipe was inspired by a trip to a well-known coffee shop. They sell some incredible cake pops there, with the birthday cake being my all-time favorite. But on this trip, I decided to give their cookie dough flavor a chance because I am ALL about the cookie dough!

The verdict? Bleh. It was fine, but I kept thinking about ways it could be EVEN better!

My issues with the coffee shop version:
❌ White chocolate coating (poor flavor choice!)
❌ Didn't taste like a cookie at all
❌ Missing that brown sugar goodness

So I took all my observations and developed my PERFECT version of a chocolate chip cookie cake pop! And you guys, these turned out SO much better!

They're perfect for birthday parties, baby showers, bridal showers, or honestly anytime you want a fun treat that tastes way better than the coffee shop version! 

Ready to make these? 💌 Comment "POPS" below and I'll send you the link!

#CakePops #ChocolateChipCookie #PartyFood #DessertRecipes #CakePopRecipe #ChocolateChip #KidFriendlyRecipes #ChocolateChipCookies
Hot chocolate. It's almost a necessity in winter t Hot chocolate. It's almost a necessity in winter time, right?

Last year I made this incredible peanut butter hot chocolate because, you know, I love all things peanut butter. But this year? I wanted to make a hot chocolate with another one of my FAVORITE chocolate combos: Raspberry Hot Chocolate!

And that raspberry, guys…let me tell you. Adding it to the hot chocolate is like drinking one of those chocolate raspberry truffles from a chocolate shop. So rich and slightly tart. The whole drink is so balanced and I love it!

Making hot chocolate from scratch is much much easier than you'd think. And once you do, you'll never buy those packets again! All you do is heat milk in a saucepan and then whisk in cocoa powder and sugar. Boom – that's it!

For this raspberry hot chocolate, there's just one more step: break down fresh raspberries into a puree by cooking them on the stove for a few minutes. Once it's cooked, you just strain out the seeds and add to the hot chocolate and you have yourself a raspberry hot chocolate!

Perfect for Valentine's Day, cozy movie nights, or anytime you want to treat yourself to something special!

Ready to upgrade your hot chocolate game? 💌 Comment "COCOA" below and I'll send you the link!

#HotChocolate #HomemadeHotChocolate #WinterDrinks #CozyDrinks #HotChocolateRecipe #ChocolateRaspberry #ValentinesDayDrinks #WarmDrinks #CozyRecipes #WinterTreats #ComfortDrinks #HotCocoa
These Smothered Pork Chops are an exciting escape These Smothered Pork Chops are an exciting escape from boring dinners, and honestly? They might be my new weeknight obsession!

Oh my goodness, ya'll. Not only does it smell heavenly, but that flavor is unmatched to any gravy I've ever made before. That fresh thyme really sets it off! 

What makes these AMAZING:
🔥 ONE PAN recipe - yes, all done on the stove!
🍳 No oven or fancy appliances required
💚 That creamy onion gravy is EVERYTHING
⏰ Ready in 40 minutes total
🥩 Bone-in chops stay SO juicy
👨‍🍳 Simple ingredients, incredible flavor

The process is super easy:
First, you lightly fry the pork chops - and don't worry, it's not a thick batter that would make these super unhealthy. We just coat them in spices and a little flour, then fry in butter and oil to get them slightly crispy.

Then comes the magic! The butter and oil stay in the pan (hello, flavor!), and we cook down the onions, add garlic and fresh thyme, then create this INCREDIBLE creamy gravy with chicken stock and cream. The gravy thickens right before your eyes - it's actually kinda mesmerizing!

Finally, add back the chops, smother them in all that gorgeous gravy, and let them finish cooking. The result? Tender, juicy pork chops swimming in the most flavorful onion gravy you've ever tasted!

This is the kind of meal that makes you feel like you're eating at a fancy restaurant but you made it on a Tuesday night in 40 minutes. Win-win!

Ready to make dinner exciting again? 💌 Comment "PORK" below and I'll send you the link!

#PorkChops #OnionGravy #ComfortFood #EasyDinner #DinnerRecipes #PorkRecipes #OnePanMeal #EasyRecipes #HomeCooking #DinnerIdeas #PorkChopRecipe
I never really liked fudge... until I tried THIS D I never really liked fudge... until I tried THIS Dark Chocolate Raspberry Fudge! 

Okay guys, confession time. I used to think fudge was just meh - too sugary, kinda gritty, not chocolatey enough. But then my friend Savannah brought homemade fudge to our Christmas potluck and I ate EIGHT pieces. EIGHT! That's incredible, even for me!

So of course I had to get the recipe and make it my own. Enter: this gorgeous Dark Chocolate Raspberry Fudge! The combo of rich dark chocolate with tart raspberry swirls is absolutely HEAVENLY.

The best part? This is SO much easier than traditional fudge! No candy thermometer needed - just sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, and homemade raspberry puree. That's it!

Swipe to see:
→ The dreamy raspberry swirl 😍
→ How creamy and smooth this fudge is
→ That gorgeous color combo
→ Tips for perfect fudge every time
→ The easy recipe breakdown

Perfect for Valentine's Day, Galentine's, or honestly just because you deserve something sweet!

Want the full recipe? 💌 Comment 'FUDGE' below and I'll send you the link!

#HomemadeFudge #ValentinesDayDessert #ChocolateRaspberry #DessertRecipes #RaspberryDessert #ValentinesDay #GalentinesDay #FudgeRecipe
This Cranberry Apple Crumble is my absolute favori This Cranberry Apple Crumble is my absolute favorite alternative to apple pie - and here's why you're gonna love it too!

First of all, let's be real... making pie is SUCH a process. Make dough, chill dough, roll out dough, make filling, create pretty top crust, bake. It's just too much, especially during the holidays! And don't even get me started on that first slice that NEVER comes out pretty. I usually keep it for myself to save the embarrassment 😅

But THIS? This is SO much easier! It's the same balance of fruit and carbs you crave in a pie but with like half the effort. Plus it's scoopable, so no messy slicing! Hallelujah!

The cranberries pair SO beautifully with the apples - I've been embracing cranberries a lot more this year and I'm so glad I did! The tart berries balance perfectly with the sweet apples and that buttery crumble topping.

A few tips that will help you:
1️⃣ Slice the apples, don't dice them - better apple to cranberry ratio
2️⃣ Fresh or frozen cranberries work! DO NOT use dried
3️⃣ Let the crumb mixture chill for at least 10 minutes so it hardens up
4️⃣ Granny Smith apples hold their texture perfectly when baked

This crumble is warm, comforting, and absolutely irresistible. The only thing that can make it better is that generous scoop of vanilla ice cream melting on top! 🤤
Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or honestly any time you want something delicious without all the pie stress!

Want the full recipe? 💌 Comment "CRUMBLE" below and I'll send you the link!

#AppleCrumble #HolidayBaking #EasyDesserts #AppleDesserts #CranberryDessert  #DessertRecipes #ComfortFood #AppleRecipes

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