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CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado

Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

breakfast· Fall Flavors· Holiday Favorites
October 14, 2021

Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Pancakes – Fluffy pumpkin buttermilk pancakes are swirled with cinnamon brown sugar and then topped with a…
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Maple Walnut Cookies

Maple Walnut Cookies

Cookies· Fall Flavors· Holiday Favorites
October 7, 2021

Maple Walnut Cookies – Buttery cookies loaded with chopped walnuts and maple sugar make for soft cookies with a crisp…
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Cinnamon Apple Kolaches

Cinnamon Apple Kolaches

doughnuts and sweet rolls· Easter· Fall Flavors· Holiday Favorites
September 20, 2021

Cinnamon Apple Kolaches – Fluffy sweet rolls are topped with cinnamon apples, baked to perfection, and finished with sweet icing….
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Carrot Raisin Muffins

Carrot Raisin Muffins

dessert· Easter· Fall Flavors· muffins
April 1, 2021

Carrot Raisin Muffins – Tall, fluffy carrot muffins are studded with golden raisins and chopped walnuts to make a hearty,…
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Apple Pecan Farro Salad

Apple Pecan Farro Salad

appetizer· Easter· Fall Flavors· salad· Summertime Favorites
March 29, 2021

Apple Pecan Farro Salad – Tender farro grains are tossed with a homemade apple cider vinaigrette, pecans, dried cranberries, and…
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Sage & Brown Butter Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Sage & Brown Butter Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Fall Flavors· Holiday Favorites· sides
November 23, 2020

Sage & Brown Butter Mashed Sweet Potatoes – Sweet Potatoes are mashed together with chopped sage and browned butter. Thanksgiving…
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Apple Pie Cake

Apple Pie Cake

cake· dessert· Easter· Fall Flavors· Holiday Favorites· pie
November 2, 2020

Apple Pie Cake – Half pie, half cake, lots of delicious apples. During this pandemic, many have chosen to spend…
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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

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

Carrot Raisin Muffins

a bowl of Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Bread Pudding topped with ice cream with a casserole dish with bread pudding and two pumpkins stacked on top of each other in the background, shot from a side angle

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Bread Pudding

two copper mugs filled with holiday mule drinks and a pitcher in the background

Holiday Mule

close up of sliced loaf of chocolate cinnamon babka with the center exposed to see the beautiful swirl of chocolate

Chocolate Cinnamon Babka

warm banana bread with a couple bites removed sitting on a plate with two scoops on butter pecan ice cream stacked on top and caramelized bananas over the top and a spoon on the side

Banana Bread Sundae

overhead shot of pumpkin churros on a plate of cinnamon sugar

Pumpkin Churros

ORDER MY NEW COOKBOOK NOW!

photo of entertaining made easy cookbook available for preorder now

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holiday favorite

two stemmed glasses of Cranberry Orange Aperol Spritz with orange slices and rosemary sprigs with cramberries rosemary and half an orange on the table underneath, shot from the front

Cranberry Orange Aperol Spritz

a purple plate with 4 churro waffles

Churro Waffles

overhead shot of partially eaten baked carrot cake oatmeal in casserole dish with serving spoon

Baked Carrot Cake Oatmeal

fingers holding a chocolate berry fritter with a wire rack with more fritters and mixed berries surrounding them, shot from a side angle

Chocolate Berry Fritters

Sausage Egg & Cheese Pastry Muffins on a platter with a sprig of rosemary, shot from a side angle

Sausage, Egg, & Cheese Pastry Muffins

 

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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