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CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado

Berry Pavlova

Berry Pavlova

cake· dessert· Holiday Favorites· Summertime Favorites· Valentine's Day
June 24, 2021

Berry Pavlova – Vanilla meringue is baked into a cake with a crispy shell exterior and creamy interior and then…
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Roasted Strawberry Bundt Cake

Roasted Strawberry Bundt Cake

cake· dessert· Easter· Holiday Favorites· Summertime Favorites· Valentine's Day
May 27, 2021

Roasted Strawberry Bundt Cake – Strawberries are roasted before adding to the cake batter in order to concentrate their flavor…
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Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

cake· dessert· Summertime Favorites
May 24, 2021

Pineapple Upside Down Cake – Fluffy vanilla cake topped with brown sugar pineapple slices During my pregnancy last year, I…
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Orange-Scented Madeleines

Orange-Scented Madeleines

cake· Cookies· dessert· Easter· Holiday Favorites
May 6, 2021

Orange-Scented Madeleines – Little Madeleine cakes are sprinkled with orange zest to give them a hint of orange flavor Today’s…
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Victoria Sandwich Cake

Victoria Sandwich Cake

cake· dessert· Holiday Favorites· Valentine's Day
May 3, 2021

Victoria Sandwich Cake – Raspberry jam and fresh whipped cream are sandwiched between two vanilla sponge cakes and dusted with…
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French Almond Cakes (Financiers)

French Almond Cakes (Financiers)

cake· Easter· Holiday Favorites· pastries
April 12, 2021

French Almond Cakes (Financiers) – These almond flavor mini cakes aren’t quite cupcakes nor are they muffins. They’re the perfect…
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Sticky Toffee Pudding

Sticky Toffee Pudding

cake· dessert· Easter· Valentine's Day
November 30, 2020

Sticky Toffee Pudding – A brown sugar cake made with dates is soaked in a homemade toffee sauce to make…
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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

styled shot of Cranberry Apple Crumble

Cranberry Apple Crumble

a cinnamon stick being dipped into a mug of mulled wine with another mug of mulled wine and a glass dish of mulled spices in the background, shot from a side angle

Slow Cooker Mulled Wine

Butterscotch Pear Turnovers on a baking sheet with parchment paper, shot from overhead

Butterscotch Pear Turnovers

staged shot of pumpkin cinnamon crunch muffins with sprinkled pecans and pumpkins in the background, shot from a side angle

Pumpkin Cinnamon Crunch Muffins

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)

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

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photo of entertaining made easy cookbook available for preorder now

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holiday favorite

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

Pesto cheese roll sitting on a wooden plate with marinara sauce in the background for dipping

Pesto Cheese Rolls

puff pastry filled with chicken a la king

Chicken a la King

a slice of texas sheet cake sitting on a white plate

Texas Sheet Cake

zoomed in shot of portuguese egg tarts sitting on a plate

Portuguese Egg Tarts

 

Double Chocolate Biscotti – Chocolate cookies ar Double Chocolate Biscotti – Chocolate cookies are loaded with chocolate chips and baked twice to make them extra crispy and perfect for dunking into your favorite hot beverage.

Biscotti is the dessert I never knew I needed. I discovered them in college when I craved a snack while studying for finals. I bought a biscotti at the library coffee shop and dunked it in my coffee. The cookie that I thought was too crunchy suddenly turn soft and chewy. Yum!

Those memories inspired me to make my own biscotti. First, I made these gingerbread biscotti. And then I made this pistachio version. Now, I’m recreating the biscotti I first had many years ago – Double Chocolate Biscotti.

RECIPE: https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/double-chocolate-biscotti/
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!

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