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CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado

Cookbooks

cover photo of entertaining made easy cookbook

I have always loved entertaining. Growing up, I tried out new recipes during Easter brunches, birthday parties, and Thanksgiving dinners. The more I practiced, the more comfortable I became making food for groups of people.

To share what I’ve learned and make entertaining more approachable, I geared my second cookbook towards those who love to entertain but feel a little intimidated by the process. It’s called Entertaining Made Easy: Recipes, Menus, and Inspiration for Effortless Celebrations. My goal for this book is to give you the same confidence to tackle any event—big or small, fancy or casual. I’m sharing all the tips and tricks I’ve picked up from years of hosting. Not every event I hosted went well, but I learned so much from each failure.

All the recipes in this book are simple to make and perfect for any gathering. Some contain only five ingredients, some can be executed in under 30 minutes, some can be made in one pot or on a baking sheet, and some aren’t cooked at all. For recipes that require a little more work, I share all my best tips and tricks for ensuring the dish comes out perfectly.

Not only do I provide recipes that can be used for all kinds of entertaining, but I also give you specifics on the Five Elements of Entertaining and how to apply them to 12 different types of events. The five elements include:

  1. The Occasion
  2. The People
  3. The Location
  4. The Menu
  5. The Entertainment

Along with those elements, I will provide a timeline for the event prep and some additional tips to help make your event extra special.

Some of the types of events that you’ll get guidance on include:

  • Graduation Parties
  • Baby Showers
  • Game Nights
  • Housewarming Parties
  • Wine Tastings

I cannot wait for you to see all the great things this book has to offer. It officially goes on sale October 27, 2020 but preordering has already begun. Preorder your copy TODAY!

I have published a cookbook that will help you learn everything you need to know about pastry – Pastry for Beginners: Step-by-Step Recipes for Sweet and Savory Treats. This cookbook starts with a thorough introduction to the ins and outs of baking with pastry to help you understand why we do the the things we do. In this cookbook you’ll answer the following questions:

  • What are the most important kitchen tools necessary for pastry?
  • Why is cold butter important when making pie dough?
  • What is the best way to measure ingredients?
  • How do I use pastry bag?
  • What are the secrets to fluffy yeast dough?

After you’ve learned everything you need to know about pastry, the following chapters break down the four major types of pastry:

  • Pie Dough
  • Puff Pastry
  • Yeast Dough
  • Choux Pastry

You’ll learn a master recipe for each chapter that is then used in the recipes that follow. As a bonus, each chapter has a few variations of the master recipe so you can flex those pastry skills you just learned!

Grab a copy for yourself today!

  • Amazon
  • Target
  • Barnes & Noble
  • Walmart
  • Books-a-Million
  • Indiebound
  • Indigo

 

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

overhead shot of quinoa harvest salad on a plate

Quinoa Harvest Salad

apple cinnamon charlotte sitting on a plate with cinnamon sabayon sliced in half to reveal the apples in the center

Apple Cinnamon Charlotte

a hand holding up a cinnamon bun soft pretzel

Cinnamon Bun Soft Pretzels

overhead shot of pumpkin churros on a plate of cinnamon sugar

Pumpkin Churros

autumn kale salad in a blue salad bowl

Autumn Kale Salad

close up of potato dinner rolls on a wooden round serving platter

Potato Dinner Rolls

ORDER MY NEW COOKBOOK NOW!

photo of entertaining made easy cookbook available for preorder now

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holiday favorite

Cheeseball Bites

a slice of bread being dipped into the butter in a dish of roasted garlic mushrooms with a loaf of bread in the background, shot from a side angle

Roasted Garlic Mushrooms

close up of potato dinner rolls on a wooden round serving platter

Potato Dinner Rolls

Peach & Goat Cheese Crostini on a platter topped with basil and balsamic vinaigrette, shot from a side angle

Peach & Goat Cheese Crostini (+wine pairing)

overhead shot of Cinnamon Roll Wreath

Cinnamon Roll Wreath

 

Healthy Parmesan Crusted Chicken – Chicken fillets Healthy Parmesan Crusted Chicken – Chicken fillets covered in Parmesan cheese and seasoned panko bread crumbs and baked until perfectly crispy. No frying required!
Salted Caramel Apple Pie Dip with Pie Crust Chips Salted Caramel Apple Pie Dip with Pie Crust Chips – Decadent homemade apple pie filling is combined with gooey salted caramel sauce and served with crispy cinnamon sugar pie crust chips

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/salted-caramel-apple-pie-dip-pie-crust-chips/
Sage & Browned Butter Hasselback Sweet Potatoes – Sage & Browned Butter Hasselback Sweet Potatoes – Sweet potatoes sliced “hasselback-style”, baked to perfection, and finished off with a sage & browned butter sauce to make for the best side dish in any meal

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/sage-browned-butter-hasselback-sweet-potatoes/
Orchard Harvest Salad (Panera Copycat) – Chopped r Orchard Harvest Salad (Panera Copycat) – Chopped romaine lettuce tossed with sliced pears, dried cherries, pecans, gorgonzola cheese, diced chicken and homemade cherry balsamic vinaigrette. Copycat recipe of the seasonal Orchard Harvest salad from Panera Bread. 

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/orchard-harvest-salad-panera-copycat/
French Onion Soup – Caramelized onions create the French Onion Soup – Caramelized onions create the base for this soup, which is served with a crouton and melted Gruyere cheese on top.

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/french-onion-soup

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