• Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipes
  • Cookbooks
  • Work With Me
  • Contact

CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado

Work With Me

As Featured In:

I enjoy partnering with the brands I trust. If you’d like to work together to get the word out about your great products, you can contact me at info {at} certifiedpastryaficionado {dot} com

A sample of services that I provide:

  • sponsored posts
  • recipe development
  • food photography
  • partnership packages
  • brand ambassadorships

A full media kit is available upon request.

Below are a few samples of sponsored posts that I’ve completed with some of my favorite brands:

Cajun Chicken Pasta (with Barilla)

Cookie Dough Easter Eggs with M&M’s® (with Mars/Wrigley)

Cookie Dough Easter Eggs with M&M's® - Chewy edible chocolate chip cookie dough truffles with M&M’S® milk chocolate candies, rolled into egg shapes, and dipped into fun colored candy melts to make them look like Easter eggs. The perfect treats to make for Easter! #SweeterEaster

Tiramisu Frozen Coffee (with Dunkin Donuts Coffee)

Tiramisu Frozen Coffee - Make your morning coffee even more exciting with a boost from the flavors of tiramisu. Made with double-strength coffee, milk, creamy marscapone cheese, crushed ladyfingers, chocolate syrup, and crushed ice, this tiramisu frozen coffee will transform your morning routine!

Shrimp & Grit Cake Bites (with Notable Wines)

Shrimp & Grit Cake Bites - Ultra creamy grit patties are fried and served with a buttery sauteed shrimp and crispy bacon to create an appetizer that your guests will go crazy for. Pairs perfectly with the flavors of Chardonnay wine!

Cobb Salad Dip (with Rubbermaid Freshworks)

Cobb Salad Dip - A creamy ranch dip covered in your favorite toppings from a traditional cobb salad. The perfect appetizer for game days, summer parties, and barbecues!

Salted Caramel Apple Pie Parfaits (with Conagra Brands)

Salted Caramel Apple Pie Parfaits - A super simple treat to make for all your summer parties that is sure to impress! Simply layer Marie Callender’s® Dutch Apple Pie, Reddi-wip®, and salted caramel sauce in individual cups and serve immediately.

Cowboy Queso (with Dr Pepper & Johnsonville Sausage)

Cowboy Queso - A chunky queso dip with chopped green chiles, roasted tomatoes, ground sausage, and sliced smoked cheddar sausage. The best dip to feed a hungry crowd during a tailgate. Perfectly pairs with ice-cold Dr Pepper!

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Bread Pudding (with High Road Ice Cream)

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Bread Pudding – Cubed chunks of french bread soaked in a pumpkin custard, dusted with cinnamon sugar, and baked. Served with stellar Vanilla Fleur de Sel ice cream from High Road Ice Cream

Pomegranate Rosemary Moscow Mules (with Schweppes Ginger Ale)

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

a stack of three Apple Cider Crumb Doughnuts on a cloth napkin with more doughnuts around them, shot from the front

Apple Cider Crumb Doughnuts

slices of iced pumpkin scones drizzled with frosting on a wire rack on top of parchment paper, shot from overhead

Iced Pumpkin Scones

pumpkin challah bread sliced with a knife

Pumpkin Challah Bread

a slice of apple cinnamon stuffed french toast on a plate with powdered sugae

Apple Cinnamon Stuffed French Toast

close up of a serving bowl with sage and brown butter mashed sweet potatoes

Sage & Brown Butter Mashed Sweet Potatoes

a plate of pie crust chips with a bowl of Salted Caramel Apple Pie Dip on it and a jar of caramel behind it, shot from a side angle

Salted Caramel Apple Pie Dip with Pie Crust Chips

ORDER MY NEW COOKBOOK NOW!

photo of entertaining made easy cookbook available for preorder now

Breakfast
Appetizers
Entrees
Salads
Sides
Drinks
Desserts
Roundups
Holidays

Browse by Date

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Contact Me
  • Privacy Policy

holiday favorite

zoomed in shot of sour cream doughnuts and donut holes on a cloth napkin, shot from a side angle

Sour Cream Doughnuts

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

Fudge Striped Cookies

overhead zoomed in shot of cranberry cookies with white chocolate drizzle

Cranberry Cookies with White Chocolate Drizzle

a plate of Slow Cooker Short Ribs with sprigs of thyme on top, shot from a side angle

Slow Cooker Short Ribs

zoomed in shot of orange-scented madelines on a white plate

Orange-Scented Madeleines

 

Schnitzel Sub Sandwich – crispy fried chicken te Schnitzel Sub Sandwich – crispy fried chicken tenders topped with fresh baby arugula, a squeeze of lemon juice, and shaved Parmesan cheese in a soft hoagie bun! 

I tried this sandwich at a restaurant and fell so deeply in love that I HAD to recreate it at home, you guys! It was so SIMPLE yet so INCREDIBLE! 😍

The best part? It tastes fresh and light despite being a fried piece of chicken! The secret is all in the fresh toppings – the baby arugula, bright lemon juice, and shaved Parmesan cut through the richness of the fried chicken perfectly!

The biggest step is pounding and frying the chicken tenders, but don't worry – I use a shallow pool of oil instead of deep frying, which makes it SO much simpler at home! Just flatten the chicken evenly so it cooks through and gets super crispy!

Pro tip: Make sure to use the lemon! Fried food can taste rich and heavy, and the lemon juice is exactly what the chicken needs to lighten it up and add freshness!
Perfect for lunch, dinner, weeknight meals, or anytime you want a gourmet sandwich at home! 🥪

💬 Comment "SCHNITZEL" for the recipe
💾 SAVE for sandwich inspiration
📤 SHARE with someone who loves sandwiches!

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/schnitzel-sub-sandwich/
Texas Sheet Cake – a thin, moist chocolate cake Texas Sheet Cake – a thin, moist chocolate cake with a generous layer of fudgy chocolate icing on top! The ratio of cake to icing is absolute PERFECTION! 

Chocolate cake has been hit or miss for me my whole life, you guys! Either it's dry or bland or not chocolatey enough! But this Texas Sheet Cake? BY FAR my favorite chocolate cake of all time! 

It's perfectly moist, FULL of chocolate flavor, and that icing on top just sets it into overdrive! After one bite, I simply cannot stop eating!

The secret to this incredible cake is the right ratio of icing to cake and placing the icing on the cake while it's HOT! This seals in all the moisture and makes it absolutely DIVINE!

Pro tip: Use Dutch-processed cocoa powder instead of classic unsweetened – the chocolate flavor is way more potent! Plus, this cake bakes in under 20 minutes, so it's perfect for last-minute cravings!

Perfect for potlucks, parties, crowd feeding, or anytime you need to satisfy those chocolate cravings! 

💬 Comment "TEXASCAKE" for the recipe
💾 SAVE for chocolate emergencies
📤 SHARE with someone who loves chocolate!

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/texas-sheet-cake/
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Honey Mustard Vinaig Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette – crispy roasted Brussels sprouts tossed in a tangy, sweet honey mustard vinaigrette! 

If you had told me 5 years ago that I'd be posting a brussels sprouts recipe on this blog, I wouldn't have believed you, you guys! All I knew about them was that they were a stinky vegetable nobody liked!

Then all of a sudden, brussels sprouts were on EVERY menu at EVERY restaurant I visited! I was shocked! So when my girlfriends ordered a large side to share at dinner, I decided to try them – and I was CONVERTED! 😍

They were roasted until crispy, coated in a honey mustard vinaigrette that was tangy, crispy, and sweet! Now I'm sharing MY version so you can convert brussels sprout haters too!

Pro tip: Toss the brussels sprouts in the vinaigrette while they're still hot so they absorb all those amazing flavors!

Perfect for holiday dinners, dinner parties or anytime you need a delicious side dish! 

💬 Comment "SPROUTS" for the recipe
💾 SAVE for entertaining
📤 SHARE with a brussels sprout hater!

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/roasted-brussel-sprouts-with-honey-mustard-vinaigrette/
Cheeseburger Egg Rolls – ground beef seasoned wi Cheeseburger Egg Rolls – ground beef seasoned with mustard and Worcestershire, stuffed with American cheese and pickles, all wrapped in a crispy wonton wrapper! Served with a tangy burger sauce for dipping! 

Frying foods is not always my favorite thing to do, you guys! But when I decide to, it's gotta be worth it! And these cheeseburger egg rolls are TOTALLY worth it! You just can't get the same crisp on the wonton wrapper in the oven or air fryer!

The filling is just like a classic cheeseburger – ground beef, American cheese, a pickle, and just a hint of mustard! And the burger sauce with ketchup, mustard, and relish rounds out those classic burger flavors!

Pro tip: Drain the beef extremely well! Any excess oil will put holes in the wonton wrapper while it's frying!

Perfect for appetizers, game day, parties, tailgating, or anytime you want cheeseburger flavor in a crispy, fun package! 🍟

💬 Comment "EGGROLLS" for the recipe
💾 SAVE for party planning
📤 SHARE with someone who loves burgers!

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/cheeseburger-egg-rolls/
Coconut Tres Leches – a tropical twist on the cl Coconut Tres Leches – a tropical twist on the classic! Spongy cake soaked in three milks (including coconut cream instead of heavy cream!) and topped with whipped cream and toasted coconut! 

Despite my Hispanic heritage, tres leches is something I only started loving in my 20s, you guys! And when I did? I was almost ANGRY I had waited so long to try it!

I love taking classic recipes and giving them unique twists! For this one, I replaced the heavy cream with coconut cream and topped it with toasted coconut – because I LOVE coconut cream cake! The result? The best of both worlds – all the tres leches flavor with all the coconut goodness!

Pro tip: Make this cake a day in advance and let it sit overnight! Tres leches gets BETTER over time, and it makes a world of difference!

One of the best desserts I've made in a while – seriously, your mind will be blown with every bite! 

💬 Comment "TRESLECHES" for the recipe
💾 SAVE for dessert inspiration
📤 SHARE with someone who loves coconut!

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/coconut-tres-leches/

Copyright © 2026 Certified Pastry Aficionado · Web Design by Viva la Violet