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CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado

About Me

As Featured In:

Welcome to Certified Pastry Aficionado, or CPA for short. Thanks for stopping by! My name is Sharon and I am, yes, you guessed it…a CPA. That stands for Certified Public Accountant. I spent a few years as a public accountant, and now I currently work as a regional controller at a large paper company in Atlanta, GA. I live with my husband, Tyson, and my two children, who are my favorite taste testers. We have the sweetest little kitties, Autumn and Dorito. I take way too many pictures of them, but, in my defense, they are cute wayyyy too many times.

Sharon And Her Husband Tyson, Next To Her Two Kittens.

About the Blog

I’ve been baking since I can remember. I actually still have the first cookbook I ever received when I was about 10 years old. Ever since then, I’ve been the happiest in the kitchen. I’d use any opportunity to make things for friends and family – Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, birthdays, and even to impress my coworkers at a new job.

When I first starting working at a public accounting firm after college, I would bring in treats for all my coworkers to munch on. Being a single girl in the city, it gave me a reason to bake tons of stuff without gaining thousands of pounds, plus baking was the best stress-reliever. A coworker suggested that I blog about the things I make and give tips to bakers just like me. And, alas, the blog was born!

On the blog, you can find anything and everything that I love to eat. I never post a recipe that I am not whole-heartedly obsessed with. Therefore, most of the recipes you’ll find are indulgent and rich and even sinful. This includes: yummy pasta dishes, comforting soups, all things sweet, boozy drinks, and, most of all, carbs. This doesn’t mean I don’t post healthy food, but flavor comes first. If it ain’t yummy, I ain’t sharing it.

I make a mixture of easy and challenging recipes. But I pride myself on the helpful tips I give at the end of every post to encourage cooks and bakers of all strengths to give these recipes a try. No one should ever feel that they’re not experienced enough to make the food they crave. So my goal with each post is to empower people to give the recipe a try.

And don’t worry; not everything I make will test your baking limits. My husband’s favorite things are chocolate chip cookies and cinnamon anything so I will be working on the classics just as much : )

I also love taking suggestions! I’ll bake anything and everything. So please…send me any recipes you’d like to see me make and I’ll document every step of the way!

More About Me

I’m a graduate of the University of Florida (Go Gators!). I moved to Atlanta after graduation for work from sunny ole Florida I met my amazing husband shortly after and we were married in 2015. We are two goofballs in love and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I probably use more exclamation points and emoticons than a teenage girl, I spend way too much time stalking food pics on Instagram, I love to spend time on the couch, binge-watching Netflix, and I have the compulsive-need to walk down every aisle of the grocery store.

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Here are some pictures from our wedding (taken by Carrie Joy Photography):

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Atlanta is a mecca for Southern food. I was so pleasantly surprised to find some of the best food that I’ve ever had right here in Atlanta. You’ll find me document a lot of my food journeys on my Instagram, as well posts about my baking journeys. Check me out!

You can also follow me on:

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  • Foodgawker

Or shoot me an email: [email protected]

Favorite foods: rustic pizza, s’mores, macarons (especially pistachio), blackberries, almond croissants, salted caramel, hazelnuts, a good steak, anything with vinegar, goat cheese, coffee, chocolate chip cookies, most types of cobbler, Oreos (NOT double stuff).

Least favorite foods (and even foods I despise!): fennel, olives, artichoke hearts, black licorice, cooked broccoli, canned green beans, chocolate and orange paired together, tea, cardamom, desserts made with florals (sorry rosewater).

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

fall flavors

Pumpkin Tres Leches

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

zoomed in shot of chocolate snickerdoodles on parchment paper with a spoon in front, shot from a side angle

Chocolate Snickerdoodles

close up of a slice of pumpkin crumb cake separated from the rest of the cake but not on a plate yet

Pumpkin Crumb Cake

overhead shot of partially eaten baked carrot cake oatmeal in casserole dish with serving spoon

Baked Carrot Cake Oatmeal

apple cinnamon monkey bread with a chunk out of it and sliced apples in front, shot from a side angle

Apple Cinnamon Monkey Bread

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fall flavors

Maple Pecan Scones

styled shot of Sparkling Apple Cider Sangria

Sparkling Apple Cider Sangria

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

Apple Cinnamon Charlotte

vinaigrette dressing being poured over a plate of Orchard Harvest Salad (Panera Copycat) from a glass bottle with a half and whole pair and cherry preserves in the background, shot from a side angle

Orchard Harvest Salad (Panera Copycat)

close up of sliced loaf of chocolate cinnamon babka with the center exposed to see the beautiful swirl of chocolate

Chocolate Cinnamon Babka

 

Raspberry almond muffins are yummy breakfast muffi Raspberry almond muffins are yummy breakfast muffins made with all-purpose flour and almond flour and loaded with fresh raspberries.

To find this recipe, search for raspberry almond muffins on certifiedpastryaficionado.com

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Banana chocolate chip cookies are banana cookies l Banana chocolate chip cookies are banana cookies loaded with candied walnuts and covered in regular and large semi-sweet chips.

To find this recipe, search for banana chocolate chip cookies on certifiedpastryaficionado.com

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Pistachio loaf has real pistachios that are ground Pistachio loaf has real pistachios that are ground and added to olive oil, eggs, sugar, flour, and a hint of almond extract to make this gorgeous loaf great for dessert or afternoon tea.

To find this recipe, search for pistachio loaf on certifiedpastryaficionado.com

#pistachio #pistachiorecipe #sweetbread #homemadebread #dessertbread #teabread #homebaking #afternoontea #sweettreats #yum #eatingfortheinsta #instayum #picoftheday #foodblog #delicious #nomnomnom #feedfeed #foodietribe #eeeeeats #huffposttaste #buzzfeast #buzzfeedfood #TODAYfood #foodblogeats
This grilled egg and cheese sandwich has creamy sc This grilled egg and cheese sandwich has creamy scrambled eggs topped with Colby jack cheese and chives and then sandwiched between two slices of buttery toasted brioche.

To find this recipe, search for grilled egg and cheese sandwich on certifiedpastryaficionado.com

#eggsandwich #breakfastsandwich #sandwichrecipe #sandwichlover #breakfast #brunch #scrambledeggs #brioche #briochesandwich #yum #eatingfortheinsta #instayum #picoftheday #foodblog #delicious #nomnomnom #feedfeed #foodietribe #eeeeeats #huffposttaste #buzzfeast #buzzfeedfood #TODAYfood #foodblogeats
This quinoa harvest salad has a spring mix tossed This quinoa harvest salad has a spring mix tossed with roasted sweet potatoes, goat cheese, roasted pepitas, dried cranberries, and quinoa to make this hearty salad. Served with a homemade creamy Dijon vinaigrette.

To find this recipe, search for quinoa harvest salad on certifiedpastryaficionado.com

#saladrecipe #harvestsalad # quinoasalad #quinoa #dijondressing #dinnersalad #chickensalad #heartysalads #saladlove #yum #eatingfortheinsta #instayum #picoftheday #foodblog #delicious #nomnomnom #feedfeed #foodietribe #eeeeeats #huffposttaste #buzzfeast #buzzfeedfood #TODAYfood #foodblogeats

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