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CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado

Crème Brûlée Doughnuts

Crème Brûlée Doughnuts

doughnuts and sweet rolls· Easter· Holiday Favorites· pastries
May 20, 2021

Crème Brûlée Doughnuts – Fluffy brioche doughnuts are filled with a vanilla bean custard, dipped in icing and then topped…
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French Almond Cakes (Financiers)

French Almond Cakes (Financiers)

cake· Easter· Holiday Favorites· pastries
April 12, 2021

French Almond Cakes (Financiers) – These almond flavor mini cakes aren’t quite cupcakes nor are they muffins. They’re the perfect…
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Goat Cheese & Honey Phyllo Triangles

Goat Cheese & Honey Phyllo Triangles

appetizer· Easter· Holiday Favorites· pastries· snacks
December 14, 2020

Goat Cheese & Honey Phyllo Triangles – Thin phyllo pastry is filled with goat cheese and honey, baked, and served…
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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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Cheese Danish

Cheese Danish

breakfast· dessert· doughnuts and sweet rolls· pastries
August 27, 2020

Cheese Danish – Sweet yeast dough is filled with cinnamon and sugar and then twisted into a round danish filled…
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Raspberry Sweet Rolls

Raspberry Sweet Rolls

breakfast· doughnuts and sweet rolls· Easter· pastries· Valentine's Day
April 6, 2020

Raspberry Sweet Rolls – Sweet yeast dough is filled with raspberry jam and fresh raspberries and then baked until golden…
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Chocolate Berry Fritters

Chocolate Berry Fritters

doughnuts and sweet rolls· Holiday Favorites· pastries· Valentine's Day
February 3, 2020

Chocolate Berry Fritters – Chocolate yeast donuts are loaded with three kinds of berries and then covered in sweet icing. …
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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 plate with a slice of stone fruit tart and slices of fruit in the background, shot from the front

Stone Fruit Tart

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

Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

close up of apple pie slide doughnut sitting on a tray with other doughnuts

Apple Pie Slider Doughnuts

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

Maple Walnut Cookies

Pecan Pie Brownies

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

close up of potato dinner rolls on a wooden round serving platter

Potato Dinner Rolls

pint glass of pumpkin cream cold brew coffee with a metal straw

Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew

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

Strawberry White Chocolate Eclairs

puff pastry filled with chicken a la king

Chicken a la King

 

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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