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CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado

Pecan Pie Brownies

Pecan Pie Brownies

bars and brownies· dessert· Fall Flavors· Holiday Favorites
October 19, 2020

Pecan Pie Brownies – Brownies are topped with a sticky pecan pie filling to make for a chocolate dessert perfect…
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Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Fall Flavors· Holiday Favorites· sides
October 8, 2020

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes – The filling from baked sweet potatoes is added to maple syrup, butter, spices, and cream…
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Pumpkin Tres Leches

Pumpkin Tres Leches

cake· dessert· Fall Flavors· Holiday Favorites
October 1, 2020

Pumpkin Tres Leches – Pumpkin cake is soaked in a mixture of tres leches (three milks), and covered with cinnamon…
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Candied Pecans

Candied Pecans

candy· Fall Flavors· Holiday Favorites· snacks
September 28, 2020

Candied Pecans – Pecans are coated in cinnamon sugar and then baked until crispy A couple months ago, I was…
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Maple Pecan Scones

Maple Pecan Scones

breakfast· Easter· Fall Flavors· Holiday Favorites· pastries
September 24, 2020

Maple Pecan Scones – Fluffy cream scones loaded with pecans and covered in maple icing Fall is officially here! Not…
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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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Banana Bread Doughnuts

Banana Bread Doughnuts

breakfast· cake· doughnuts and sweet rolls· Easter· Fall Flavors· Holiday Favorites
August 20, 2020

Banana Bread Doughnuts – Cakey baked doughnuts made of banana bread batter and dipped in a brown butter frosting and…
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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 cheddar crusted apple pie with lattice crust

Cheddar Crusted Apple Pie

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

sweet potato biscuits on parchment paper with butter to the side and a cast iron pan of more biscuits in it, shot from a side angle

Sweet Potato Biscuits

side shot of banana bread doughnuts on a purple plate with more doughnuts in the background

Banana Bread Doughnuts

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

plate of Pumpkin Cheesecake Macarons with a gourd in the background, shot from the front

Pumpkin Cheesecake Macarons

ORDER MY NEW COOKBOOK NOW!

photo of entertaining made easy cookbook available for preorder now

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holiday favorite

stacked maple walnut cookies on a red orange napkin and one cookie with a bite removed

Maple Walnut Cookies

styled shot of Monster Cookies

Monster Cookies

overhead shot of fig and goat cheese crostini on a serving platter

Fig & Goat Cheese Crostini

Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies on a baking sheet with sprinkles on top

Soft, Frosted Sugar Cookies

a plate with stacked strawberry white chocolate eclairs, shot from the front

Strawberry White Chocolate Eclairs

 

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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