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CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado

Five Kitchen Tools I’m Thankful For This Year

Five Kitchen Tools I’m Thankful For This Year

baking tips
November 24, 2016

Five Kitchen Tools I’m Thankful For This Year – These are the five kitchen tools I am thankful for this…
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Six Kitchen Tools Every Beginning Baker Needs

Six Kitchen Tools Every Beginning Baker Needs

baking tips
September 15, 2016

*this post contains affiliate links Six Kitchen Tools Every Beginning Baker Needs – These are the tools you will most…
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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

Cinnamon Latte Whoopie Pies

a stack of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies and individual cookies on a sheet pan with chocolate chips around them and a stack of pumpkins in the background, shot from a side angle

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

closeup of mini pumpkin doughnut muffins with one with a bite out of it

Mini Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins

apple pie egg roll dipping in caramel sauce

Apple Pie Egg Rolls

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

Apple Cinnamon Charlotte

plate of stack of pistachio pancakes with a bite of them on a fork with pistachios sprinkled around on a cloth napkin, shot from overhead

Pistachio Pancakes

ORDER MY NEW COOKBOOK NOW!

photo of entertaining made easy cookbook available for preorder now

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holiday favorite

close up of pretzel bread pudding slice on a plate in a pool of whiskey sauce

Pretzel Bread Pudding

plate of stack of pistachio pancakes with a bite of them on a fork with pistachios sprinkled around on a cloth napkin, shot from overhead

Pistachio Pancakes

a slice of chocolate pecan pie on a plate with another plate of pie in the background, shot from a side angle

Chocolate Pecan Pie

nutella pastry rolls on a sheet of parchment paper with a spoonful of nutella next to them

Nutella Pastry Rolls

two bowls of goat cheese sweet corn grits with a spoon in it on a cotton napkin with corn cobs next to it, shot from overhead

Goat Cheese & Sweet Corn Grits

 

Classic Fruit Tarts – Rich vanilla pastry cream Classic Fruit Tarts – Rich vanilla pastry cream is filled into a buttery mini tart shell and covered with fresh fruit.

I decided to share a recipe that is (1) perfect to serve during the holidays and (2) absolutely gorgeous to look at. And with that, I present to you my Classic Fruit Tarts!

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/classic-fruit-tarts/
Rosemary Cheese Straws – The Southern cheese str Rosemary Cheese Straws – The Southern cheese straw is flavored with fresh rosemary to give them a sophisticated feel.

I am a snacker, through and through. Before meeting my husband and living together, my meals were not planned out and mostly consisted of a lot of small snacks throughout the day. 

Over time, I learned it’s very hard to coordinate meals and get togethers with others when I’m not super hungry so I learned to adapt. But in my core, I am still a snack lover!

Today’s recipe is my newest snack obsession – Rosemary Cheese Straws

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/rosemary-cheese-straws/
Split Buns with Cream and Jam – soft, enriched y Split Buns with Cream and Jam – soft, enriched yeast buns split and filled with fresh whipped cream and raspberry jam, then dusted with powdered sugar!

Once again, The Great British Baking Show has led me to a new treat I'd never heard of but was completely entranced by! Devonshire split buns are a popular British treat made with soft baked buns filled with cream and jam, and honestly? I'm obsessed! 

What I love about these buns is how they feel like eating a sweet sandwich – imagine a jam sandwich but in a long bun with whipped cream! Doesn't that make you drool?

The great news is they're super easy to make! With a simple enriched dough recipe and store-bought jam, you can have these buns ready in just a couple of hours! The dough took me some time to develop because I wanted them soft like hot dog buns (but obviously sweeter!), not dense and heavy!

Pro tip: DO NOT slice all the way through! Leave the bottom connected so the buns hold the filling well! Use piping bags with tips to fill neatly – it makes them look bakery-quality!

Perfect for breakfast, dessert, holiday gatherings, brunch, or anytime you want a soft, indulgent treat! 

💬 Comment "SPLITBUNS" for the recipe
💾 SAVE for baking inspiration
📤 SHARE with someone who loves buns!

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/split-buns-with-cream-and-jam/
Fig & Goat Cheese Crostini – crispy baguette sli Fig & Goat Cheese Crostini – crispy baguette slices rubbed with fresh garlic, spread with rosemary honey goat cheese, and topped with fig preserves! 

This particular crostini was born when I had leftover fig preserves to use up! And let me tell you – this combination is INCREDIBLE! Every single bite is perfectly balanced – crispy, tangy, sweet, spicy, and creamy all at once! My guests absolutely cannot stop at just one!

The magic is in the rosemary honey goat cheese spread – that's where all the flavor comes from! The fresh rosemary pairs SO beautifully with the sweet fig preserves!
Pro tip: Do NOT assemble these until you're ready to serve! 

The bread will get soggy if you make them ahead! BUT you can toast the bread and make the goat cheese spread ahead of time for quick assembly!

Perfect for holiday parties, entertaining guests, or anytime you need an impressive appetizer that's seriously easy to make! 🎉

💬 Comment "CROSTINI" for the recipe
💾 SAVE for party planning
📤 SHARE with someone who loves appetizers!
Apple Pie Cake – a unique hybrid of pie and cake Apple Pie Cake – a unique hybrid of pie and cake! A traditional pie crust layered with tender precooked apples and eggy cake batter that bakes up into the most incredible texture! 🥧

During the pandemic, many restaurants started releasing their famous recipes online! One of those restaurants was a Disney World location famous for their apple pie! When I saw this recipe going VIRAL everywhere, I was skeptical because I'd never even heard of it before! But because of the hype, I decided to give it a try! 

And WOW – this pie is AMAZING! What makes it so unique is that instead of the traditional gooey apple pie filling, the apples are layered with an eggy batter that bakes up into a cakey texture! It's literally half pie, half cake! 

My husband LOVED the cakey texture of the filling – it's completely different from a traditional apple pie!

Pro tip: You MUST let this pie cool completely before cutting or the slices will fall apart! I know it's tempting, but patience is key!

💬 Comment "APPLECAKE" for the recipe
💾 SAVE for fall baking season
📤 SHARE with someone who loves apple pie!

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/apple-pie-cake/

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