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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!

ORDER MY NEW COOKBOOK NOW!

photo of entertaining made easy cookbook available for preorder now

summertime favorites

Sweet Corn Risotto with Crispy Shrimp - Creamy, cheesy homemade risotto is taken up a notch with fresh sweet yellow corn and paired perfect with SeaPak Butterfly Shrimp and Clos du Bois Chardonnay.

Sweet Corn Risotto with Crispy Shrimp (+ wine pairing)

overhead zoomed in shot of Easy Homemade Refrigerator Pickles in a glass jar

Easy Homemade Refrigerator Pickles

styled shot of glasses of Watermelon Margaritas with ice cubes and slices of watermelon and the rim with salt on it

Watermelon Margaritas

pineapple sorbet in a bowl with pieces of pineapple placed around it on a cloth napkin with a cutting board with cut pineapple on it, shot from a side angle

Pineapple Sorbet

a plate with a slice of stone fruit tart and slices of fruit in the background, shot from the front

Stone Fruit Tart

plate of grilled hawaiian bbq chicken skewers

Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Skewers

Breakfast
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National Ice Cream Month

warm banana bread with a couple bites removed sitting on a plate with two scoops on butter pecan ice cream stacked on top and caramelized bananas over the top and a spoon on the side

Banana Bread Sundae

smores sundae in a glass pedestal dish on top of cloth napkin with a jar of marshmallow cream in the background, shot from a side angle

S’mores Sundae

pineapple sorbet in a bowl with pieces of pineapple placed around it on a cloth napkin with a cutting board with cut pineapple on it, shot from a side angle

Pineapple Sorbet

photo of baked alaska cut in half, showing the ice cream in the center, with one spoonful taken out

Mini Baked Alaska

overhead shot of a spoon that was dipped into a dish of peach Riesling sorbet

Peach Riesling Sorbet

 

Pulled pork tacos with avocado salsa have pork sho Pulled pork tacos with avocado salsa have pork shoulder slow-cooked, pulled, and then placed in a flour tortilla, along with homemade avocado salsa and white onions.

To find this recipe, search for pulled pork tacos on certifiedpastryaficionado.com

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Steakhouse burgers have beef patties seasoned with Steakhouse burgers have beef patties seasoned with beef bouillon and Worcestershire sauce, topped with caramelized onions and homemade aioli, and served on a sesame seed bun.

To find this recipe, search for steakhouse burgers on certifiedpastryaficionado.com

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#yum #eatingfortheinsta #instayum #picoftheday foodblog #delicious #nomnomnom #feedfeed #foodietribe #eeeeeats #huffposttaste #buzzfeast #buzzfeedfood #TODAYfood #foodblogeats
Chimichurri steak bites have sirloin pieces marina Chimichurri steak bites have sirloin pieces marinated, seared, and drizzled with a fresh chimichurri sauce that packs a punch of flavor.

To find this recipe, search for chimichurri steak bites on certifiedpastryaficionado.com

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Easy birria tacos are traditional Mexican birria t Easy birria tacos are traditional Mexican birria tacos that get a shortcut to cut hours out of the cooking time. These tacos are ready in 30 minutes!

To find this recipe, search for easy birria tacos on certifiedpastryaficionado.com

#birria #birriatacos #tacotuesday #tacosarelife #chickentacos #easytacorecipe #cincodemayo #birriameat #tacotaco
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Strawberry habanero margarita has strawberries and Strawberry habanero margarita has strawberries and small amounts of habanero muddled together and shaken with lime juice, agave, and tequila before pouring over ice.

To find this recipe, search for strawberry habanero margarita on certifiedpastryaficionado.com 

#margarita #strawberrymargarita #habanero #sweetandspicy #cocktail #happyhour #tequila #shakennotstirred #cheers #easycocktails #yum #eatingfortheinsta #instayum #picoftheday foodblog #delicious #nomnomnom #feedfeed #foodietribe #eeeeeats #huffposttaste #buzzfeast #buzzfeedfood #TODAYfood #foodblogeats

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