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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

styled shot of Sparkling Apple Cider Sangria

Sparkling Apple Cider Sangria

Pecan Pie Brownies

a glass dish with pumpkin cinnamon rolls in it with some missing from the center and a spatula with a pumpkin the background, shot from a side angle

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

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

Stone Fruit Tart

a bowl of Butterscotch Vanilla Bean Sauce with a spoon in it and a bowl of brown sugar with a spoon in it on a cloth napkin, shot from a side angle

Butterscotch Vanilla Bean Sauce

portion of sweet potato gratin being removed from casserole dish, revealing gooey center

Sweet Potato Gratin

ORDER MY NEW COOKBOOK NOW!

photo of entertaining made easy cookbook available for preorder now

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holiday favorite

angled shot of french almond cakes sitting on a white plate

French Almond Cakes (Financiers)

puff pastry filled with chicken a la king

Chicken a la King

a bowl of Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Bread Pudding topped with ice cream with a casserole dish with bread pudding and two pumpkins stacked on top of each other in the background, shot from a side angle

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Bread Pudding

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

Stone Fruit Tart

Fudge Striped Cookies on a wire rack drizzled chocolate, shot from a side angle

Fudge Striped Cookies

 

Orange Chicken – Chicken is fried in tempura batte Orange Chicken – Chicken is fried in tempura batter and then tossed in a homemade sticky orange sauce to make for a yummy Chinese dish

RECIPE: https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/orange-chicken/
Roasted Garlic Mushrooms – Cremini mushrooms are l Roasted Garlic Mushrooms – Cremini mushrooms are loaded with garlic, olive oil, and butter, roasted until cooked through, and finished off with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a sprinkle of fresh parsley
Cookies & Cream Macarons – A classic French cookie Cookies & Cream Macarons – A classic French cookie, with a cookies & cream twist. Made from a classic French macarons recipe with chocolate cookie crumbs added to the shell recipe and filled with a cookies & cream buttercream
Grilled Peach Sundaes – Fresh peaches are grilled Grilled Peach Sundaes – Fresh peaches are grilled and served with cinnamon butter, vanilla bean ice cream, and homemade cinnamon granola

RECIPE: https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/grilled-peach-sundaes/
Sweet Corn Risotto with Crispy Shrimp – Creamy, ch 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.

RECIPE: https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/sweet-corn-risotto-crispy-shrimp/

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