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CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado

Mint Cookie Ice Cream Cake

Mint Cookie Ice Cream Cake

cake· ice cream· National Ice Cream Month· Summertime Favorites
July 26, 2021

Mint Cookie Ice Cream Cake – This delicious ice cream cake is assembled with mint chocolate chip ice cream, buttery…
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Amaretto Cherry Ice Cream

Amaretto Cherry Ice Cream

ice cream· National Ice Cream Month· Summertime Favorites· Valentine's Day
July 19, 2021

Amaretto Cherry Ice Cream – Creamy amaretto ice cream is layered with black cherries roasted in amaretto. Guys – today…
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Pudding Pops

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pudding Pops

ice cream· National Ice Cream Month· Summertime Favorites
July 15, 2021

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pudding Pops – Chocolate and peanut butter flavors of creamy pudding are layered into a frozen pop…
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Piña Colada Sundae

Piña Colada Sundae

ice cream· National Ice Cream Month· Summertime Favorites
July 12, 2021

Piña Colada Sundae – Vanilla ice cream topped with caramelized pineapple, toasted coconut, and a maraschino cherry With days as…
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Salted Caramel Brownie Milkshake

Salted Caramel Brownie Milkshake

drinks· ice cream· National Ice Cream Month· Summertime Favorites
July 8, 2021

Salted Caramel Brownie Milkshake – Homemade salted caramel sauce is blended with vanilla ice cream, milk, and chocolate brownies to…
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Strawberry Basil Frosé

Strawberry Basil Frosé

dessert· drinks· ice cream· National Ice Cream Month· Summertime Favorites· Valentine's Day
July 6, 2021

Strawberry Basil Frosé – Rosé wine is blended with strawberry and basil and then frozen into a sorbet. I hope…
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Snickerdoodle Ice Cream Sandwiches

Snickerdoodle Ice Cream Sandwiches

bars and brownies· Cookies· dessert· ice cream· National Ice Cream Month· Summertime Favorites
July 1, 2021

Snickerdoodle Ice Cream Sandwiches – Vanilla ice cream is sandwiched between two soft cinnamon sugar cookies Happy National Ice Cream…
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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 pumpkin snickerdoodles

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

styled shot of Turkey Noodle Soup

Turkey Noodle Soup

styled shot of Sparkling Apple Cider Sangria

Sparkling Apple Cider Sangria

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

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

two mugs of Cinnamon Maple Latte topped with whipped cream and sprinkled with pecans with dunkin donuts creamer and a stack of pumpkins on top of a cloth napkin, shot from a side angle

Cinnamon Maple Latte

ORDER MY NEW COOKBOOK NOW!

photo of entertaining made easy cookbook available for preorder now

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holiday favorite

close up of a piece of chocolate hzelnut toffee with chopped hazelnuts sitting beside it

Chocolate Hazelnut Toffee

a slice of victoria sandwich cake with a bite remove and a few crumbs on the plate

Victoria Sandwich Cake

plate of bananas foster french toast casserole on a plate with a bottle of syrup and a baking dish with casserole in the background, shot from the front

Bananas Foster French Toast Casserole

photo of cinnamon apple kolaches with granny smith apples in the background

Cinnamon Apple Kolaches

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

 

Nutella Macarons – delicate French almond cookie Nutella Macarons – delicate French almond cookies filled with chocolate-hazelnut Nutella spread! Classic macarons made with the proper technique learned straight from a pastry chef! 

You guys remember when I made French macarons for the first time and they were a HOT MESS? The tops were cracked and bumpy and looked more like brownies! I was determined to get them right, so I took a macaron baking class in person – and it changed EVERYTHING! 

The trickiest part? Mixing the dry and wet ingredients together. Under mix = too dry and cracked. Over mix = dense and heavy. But now I know exactly what the batter should look like!

Pro tip: Age your egg whites for 24-48 hours before making the meringue – this helps them get to the perfect consistency!

Perfect for Valentine's Day, gift-giving, special occasions, or anytime you want elegant French macarons at home! 🇫🇷

💬 Comment "NUTELLAMACARON" for the recipe
💾 SAVE for French cookie inspiration
📤 SHARE with someone who loves macarons!

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/nutella-macarons/
Classic Pot Roast – chuck roast slowly cooked in Classic Pot Roast – chuck roast slowly cooked in a jus made of beef broth, carrots, celery, and onions! Balsamic vinegar, thyme, and mustard give that jus a kick of flavor! 

Cold weather is in full effect, you guys! So comfort food needs to be on the menu! My husband wanted to try a good pot roast, so I used a combination of recipes to come up with the perfect one! 

The secret? Traditional aromatics (carrots, celery, onions) PLUS balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard set this roast apart with a tangy kick!

Pro tip: Sear the roast first to give it beautiful color on the outside – if you skip this step, the meat will look almost gray when cooked in the broth!

💬 Comment "POTROAST" for the recipe
💾 SAVE for comfort meals
📤 SHARE with someone who loves pot roast!

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/classic-pot-roast/
Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Browned Butter – Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Browned Butter – fluffy pillows of sweet potato dumplings tossed in a sage and browned butter sauce for a comforting pasta dish you didn't know you needed! 

This gnocchi was inspired by a dish I had at a local restaurant years ago, you guys! I was skeptical about sweet potato gnocchi with just butter and sage – no cream? no tomato? But MAN, was I wrong! 

The sweet potato gnocchi is even MORE flavorful than the original! It shines on its own with little help from a heavy sauce – that's why it pairs so perfectly with a light toss in sage and browned butter!

Pro tip: Use a potato ricer to break up the sweet potatoes – don't use a food processor or it will make the gnocchi gummy and pasty! The ricer makes it super fluffy!

Perfect for fall dinners, Thanksgiving, date nights, or anytime you want restaurant-quality comfort food at home! 

💬 Comment "GNOCCHI" for the recipe
💾 SAVE for fall cooking
📤 SHARE with someone who loves pasta!

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/sweet-potato-gnocchi-with-sage-browned-butter/
Sour Cream Doughnuts – dense and crispy on the o Sour Cream Doughnuts – dense and crispy on the outside, moist and cakey on the inside! Your favorite old-fashioned cake doughnuts ready in half the time as yeast doughnuts!

These are also known as old-fashioned doughnuts, you guys! They're bulky, firm on the outside, but oh-so-moist on the inside! The BEST combination of textures – crunchy yet chewy, dense yet moist! 

I fell in love with these at a local bakery, and now my husband surprises me with them from time to time! Do I have a great man or what?!

Pro tip: Don't roll the dough too thin or the doughnuts will turn to hockey pucks when you fry them! You're better off making the dough too thick than too thin!

Perfect for weekend breakfast, Easter morning, brunch, or anytime you want homemade doughnuts without the wait! 

💬 Comment "DOUGHNUTS" for the recipe
💾 SAVE for weekend baking
📤 SHARE with someone who loves doughnuts!

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/sour-cream-doughnuts
Creamy Poblano Enchiladas – tortillas stuffed wi Creamy Poblano Enchiladas – tortillas stuffed with shredded chicken, covered in a creamy poblano sauce and cheese, then baked until creamy perfection! 

I'm more of a green enchiladas fan than red, you guys! While this sauce isn't traditional green enchilada sauce, it's got similar flavor notes! Plus, with the added milk, it's super creamy and decadent! 

The secret? A roux makes the sauce ultra creamy without needing tons of heavy cream!

Pro tip: Don't skip the lime juice! It's KEY to balancing out the flavors – this is NOT an optional ingredient!

Perfect for Cinco de Mayo, dinner parties, family dinners, or anytime you want creamy enchiladas! 🎉

💬 Comment "POBLANO" for the recipe
💾 SAVE for Cinco de Mayo
📤 SHARE with someone who loves enchiladas!

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/creamy-poblano-enchiladas/

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