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CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado

Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

cake· Fall Flavors
November 20, 2017

Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting – Super moist and perfectly spiced sweet potato cupcakes are topped with…
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Snickers Cheesecake

Snickers Cheesecake

cake· dessert
September 18, 2017

Snickers Cheesecake – An incredibly creamy cheesecake loaded with chopped Snickers bars and topped with rich chocolate ganache. It’s the best…
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Blueberry Coffee Cake

Blueberry Coffee Cake

cake· Easter· Summertime Favorites
September 7, 2017

Blueberry Coffee Cake – An incredibly moist coffee cake studded with fresh blueberries, a hint of lemon, and covered with a…
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Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake Pops

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake Pops

cake· Cookies· Valentine's Day
August 3, 2017

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake Pop – The classic flavors of a chocolate chip cookies smashed into a mini cake pop. Made…
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Nutella Crunch Cupcakes

Nutella Crunch Cupcakes

cake· dessert· Valentine's Day
June 12, 2017

Nutella Crunch Cupcakes – A super moist chocolate cupcake, dipped in creamy Nutella hazelnut spread, and crunchy chocolate pieces. The…
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Funfetti Whoopie Pies

Funfetti Whoopie Pies

cake· Cookies· dessert
June 1, 2017

Funfetti Whoopie Pies – Soft and fluffy vanilla cake is loaded with sprinkles and sandwiched with creamy vanilla frosting to make…
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Irish Cream Tres Leches

Irish Cream Tres Leches

cake· dessert
March 13, 2017

Irish Cream Tres Leches – A traditional tres leches cakes soaked with three milks (cream, condensed milk, evaporated milk) but…
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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

pumpkin cinnamon pull apart loaf with a center slice visable

Pumpkin Cinnamon Pull Apart Loaf

two pints of high road ice cream stacked on top of each other with glass dishes of apple pie sundaes next to them and an apple slice and a apple cut in half in front, shot from the front

Apple Pie Sundae

Pecan Pie Brownies

Apple Pie Cake

two stacked Cinnamon Chocolate Muffins and one muffin cut in half next to it and a pan of cinnamon chocolate muffins, shot from a side angle

Cinnamon Chocolate Muffins

three Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting on a platter with two cupcakes on a pedestal on top of cotton napkin with whole pecans sprinkled around, shot from a side angle

Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

ORDER MY NEW COOKBOOK NOW!

photo of entertaining made easy cookbook available for preorder now

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holiday favorite

a trio of gingerbread souffles on a serving platter

Gingerbread Soufflé

a bowl of Butterscotch Vanilla Bean Sauce with a spoon in it and a bowl of brown sugar with a spoon in it on a cloth napkin, shot from a side angle

Butterscotch Vanilla Bean Sauce

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

casserole dish of Cheesy Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole

Cheesy Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole

a hand holding up a maple molasses cookie to show all the detailed cracks in the top of the cookie

Maple Molasses Cookies

 

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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