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CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado

Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Strawberry Coulis

Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Strawberry Coulis

cake· Easter· Summertime Favorites· Valentine's Day
February 16, 2017

Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Strawberry Coulis – Think you know pound cake?! Well, you haven’t lived until you’ve tried…
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S’mores Cookie Cake

S’mores Cookie Cake

cake· Cookies· dessert· Popular Recipes· Summertime Favorites
November 14, 2016

S’mores Cookie Cake  -Your favorite campfire snack, now in cookie cake form! The crust is made from brown sugar cookie…
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Molten Chocolate Cake

Molten Chocolate Cake

cake· Valentine's Day
September 22, 2016

Molten Chocolate Cake – Dense chocolate cake that has a gooey molten lava center that will make your mouth water….
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Classic Crumb Cake

Classic Crumb Cake

cake· Easter
September 1, 2016

Classic Crumb Cake – This crumb cake is heavenly! The cake is super moist but slightly dense. The crumb topping…
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Coca-Cola Cupcakes

Coca-Cola Cupcakes

cake
July 8, 2012

Coca-Cola Cupcakes – Cocoa-cola adds a yummy sweetness to these chocolate cupcakes! Now, I’m gonna be honest with ya’ll (clearly…
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Lemon Poppyseed Pound Cake

Lemon Poppyseed Pound Cake

cake· Easter· Summertime Favorites
April 9, 2012

Lemon Poppyseed Pound Cake – A classic lemon pound cake with gorgeous poppyseeds scattered throughout. Well, it happened. Someone decided…
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Cheesecakes!

Cheesecakes!

cake
January 3, 2012

Cheesecakes! – A duo recipe with cappuccino chocolate cheesecake and white chocolate raspberry cheesecake. The first “difficult” thing I learned…
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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

autumn kale salad in a blue salad bowl

Autumn Kale Salad

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

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

carrot raisin muffins stacked on top of each other and sitting on a purple plate

Carrot Raisin Muffins

Pumpkin Tres Leches

Apple Pie Cake

ORDER MY NEW COOKBOOK NOW!

photo of entertaining made easy cookbook available for preorder now

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holiday favorite

picture of mixed berry almond tart dusted with powdered sugar shot at an angle from the front

Mixed Berry Almond Tart

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

Fudge Striped Cookies

close up of a phyllo triangle sitting on a platter drizzled with honey and chopped walnuts

Goat Cheese & Honey Phyllo Triangles

stacked and spread out butter pecan macarons with crushed pecans spread around them, shot from a side angle

Butter Pecan Macarons

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

Sage & Brown Butter Mashed Sweet Potatoes

 

Nutella Macarons – delicate French almond cookie Nutella Macarons – delicate French almond cookies filled with chocolate-hazelnut Nutella spread! Classic macarons made with the proper technique learned straight from a pastry chef! 

You guys remember when I made French macarons for the first time and they were a HOT MESS? The tops were cracked and bumpy and looked more like brownies! I was determined to get them right, so I took a macaron baking class in person – and it changed EVERYTHING! 

The trickiest part? Mixing the dry and wet ingredients together. Under mix = too dry and cracked. Over mix = dense and heavy. But now I know exactly what the batter should look like!

Pro tip: Age your egg whites for 24-48 hours before making the meringue – this helps them get to the perfect consistency!

Perfect for Valentine's Day, gift-giving, special occasions, or anytime you want elegant French macarons at home! 🇫🇷

💬 Comment "NUTELLAMACARON" for the recipe
💾 SAVE for French cookie inspiration
📤 SHARE with someone who loves macarons!

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/nutella-macarons/
Classic Pot Roast – chuck roast slowly cooked in Classic Pot Roast – chuck roast slowly cooked in a jus made of beef broth, carrots, celery, and onions! Balsamic vinegar, thyme, and mustard give that jus a kick of flavor! 

Cold weather is in full effect, you guys! So comfort food needs to be on the menu! My husband wanted to try a good pot roast, so I used a combination of recipes to come up with the perfect one! 

The secret? Traditional aromatics (carrots, celery, onions) PLUS balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard set this roast apart with a tangy kick!

Pro tip: Sear the roast first to give it beautiful color on the outside – if you skip this step, the meat will look almost gray when cooked in the broth!

💬 Comment "POTROAST" for the recipe
💾 SAVE for comfort meals
📤 SHARE with someone who loves pot roast!

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/classic-pot-roast/
Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Browned Butter – Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Browned Butter – fluffy pillows of sweet potato dumplings tossed in a sage and browned butter sauce for a comforting pasta dish you didn't know you needed! 

This gnocchi was inspired by a dish I had at a local restaurant years ago, you guys! I was skeptical about sweet potato gnocchi with just butter and sage – no cream? no tomato? But MAN, was I wrong! 

The sweet potato gnocchi is even MORE flavorful than the original! It shines on its own with little help from a heavy sauce – that's why it pairs so perfectly with a light toss in sage and browned butter!

Pro tip: Use a potato ricer to break up the sweet potatoes – don't use a food processor or it will make the gnocchi gummy and pasty! The ricer makes it super fluffy!

Perfect for fall dinners, Thanksgiving, date nights, or anytime you want restaurant-quality comfort food at home! 

💬 Comment "GNOCCHI" for the recipe
💾 SAVE for fall cooking
📤 SHARE with someone who loves pasta!

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/sweet-potato-gnocchi-with-sage-browned-butter/
Sour Cream Doughnuts – dense and crispy on the o Sour Cream Doughnuts – dense and crispy on the outside, moist and cakey on the inside! Your favorite old-fashioned cake doughnuts ready in half the time as yeast doughnuts!

These are also known as old-fashioned doughnuts, you guys! They're bulky, firm on the outside, but oh-so-moist on the inside! The BEST combination of textures – crunchy yet chewy, dense yet moist! 

I fell in love with these at a local bakery, and now my husband surprises me with them from time to time! Do I have a great man or what?!

Pro tip: Don't roll the dough too thin or the doughnuts will turn to hockey pucks when you fry them! You're better off making the dough too thick than too thin!

Perfect for weekend breakfast, Easter morning, brunch, or anytime you want homemade doughnuts without the wait! 

💬 Comment "DOUGHNUTS" for the recipe
💾 SAVE for weekend baking
📤 SHARE with someone who loves doughnuts!

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/sour-cream-doughnuts
Creamy Poblano Enchiladas – tortillas stuffed wi Creamy Poblano Enchiladas – tortillas stuffed with shredded chicken, covered in a creamy poblano sauce and cheese, then baked until creamy perfection! 

I'm more of a green enchiladas fan than red, you guys! While this sauce isn't traditional green enchilada sauce, it's got similar flavor notes! Plus, with the added milk, it's super creamy and decadent! 

The secret? A roux makes the sauce ultra creamy without needing tons of heavy cream!

Pro tip: Don't skip the lime juice! It's KEY to balancing out the flavors – this is NOT an optional ingredient!

Perfect for Cinco de Mayo, dinner parties, family dinners, or anytime you want creamy enchiladas! 🎉

💬 Comment "POBLANO" for the recipe
💾 SAVE for Cinco de Mayo
📤 SHARE with someone who loves enchiladas!

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/creamy-poblano-enchiladas/

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