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CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado

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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The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cookies· dessert
April 19, 2021

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies – Your search for the best chocolate chip cookie is over. This cookie is the…
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Cinnamon Latte Whoopie Pies

Cinnamon Latte Whoopie Pies

cake· Cookies· dessert· Fall Flavors
September 10, 2020

Cinnamon Latte Whoopie Pies – Coffee buttercream is sandwiched between two cakey cinnamon sandwich halves and dusted with cinnamon sugar…
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Butter Pecan Macarons

Butter Pecan Macarons

Cookies· dessert· Easter· Holiday Favorites
August 13, 2020

Butter Pecan Macarons – Classic French macarons are baked with crumbled pecans on top and filled with a nutty cream…
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Cookies· dessert
June 4, 2020

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies – Chocolate cookies are filled with peanut butter chips and Reese’s Pieces to make for a…
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Walnut Brownie Cookies

Walnut Brownie Cookies

Cookies· dessert
February 17, 2020

Walnut Brownie Cookies – Chewy double-chocolate cookies loaded with walnuts and chocolate chips Valentine’s Day may be behind us but…
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Triple Chocolate Skillet Cookie

Triple Chocolate Skillet Cookie

Cookies· dessert· Valentine's Day
January 27, 2020

Triple Chocolate Skillet Cookie – Chocolate cookie dough is loaded with chocolate chips, baked in a cast-iron skillet, and then…
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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

overhead shot of Parmesan & Thyme Potatoes Au Gratin in a baking dish

Parmesan & Thyme Potatoes Au Gratin

zoomed in shot of Smashed Sweet Potatoes with cheese being shredded over them

Smashed Sweet Potatoes with Garlic Butter

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

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

Apple Cinnamon Charlotte

pumpkin cinnamon pull apart loaf with a center slice visable

Pumpkin Cinnamon Pull Apart Loaf

close up angle of pumpkin cinnamon roll pancakes stacked on a white plate

Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

ORDER MY NEW COOKBOOK NOW!

photo of entertaining made easy cookbook available for preorder now

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holiday favorite

a corner shot of a plate of Raspberry Almond Linzer Cookies with a shaker of powdered sugar in the background, shot from a side angle

Raspberry Almond Linzer Cookies

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

close up of cinnamon raisin rugelach to shot the spiral side and yummy filling

Cinnamon Raisin Rugelach

front shot of sweet potato cornbread in a cast iron skillet

Sweet Potato Cornbread

close up of raspberries & cream profiterole sitting on a white plate

Raspberries & Cream Profiteroles

 

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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