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CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado

Spiced Carrots with Whipped Feta

Spiced Carrots with Whipped Feta

appetizer· Easter· Fall Flavors· sides· snacks
March 15, 2024

Spiced Carrots with Whipped Feta – Organic small carrots are tossed with cumin, paprika and cinnamon and then roasted to…
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Everything Focaccia

Everything Focaccia

bread· snacks
January 9, 2024

Everything Focaccia – Homemade focaccia dough is topped with everything seasoning (salt, poppyseeds, sesame seeds, and onion) and baked to…
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Monte Cristo Pinwheels

Monte Cristo Pinwheels

appetizer· sandwiches & wraps· snacks· Tailgating Recipes
January 5, 2024

Monte Cristo Pinwheels – Puff pastry dough is rolled with black forest ham and Swiss cheese and baked to perfection….
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Grown-up Chocolate Chip Cookies

Grown-up Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cookies· dessert· snacks
October 9, 2023

Grown-up Chocolate Chip Cookies – Chocolate chip cookies loaded with finely chopped pistachios, walnuts, and dried cherries. A sprinkle of…
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Goat Cheese Phyllo Cigars

Goat Cheese Phyllo Cigars

appetizer· Easter· Holiday Favorites· snacks· Valentine's Day
September 4, 2023

Goat Cheese Phyllo Cigars – Thin phyllo dough is filled with goat cheese and herb filling, rolled into cigars, and…
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Brown Sugar Cinnamon Cookie Bars

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Cookie Bars

bars and brownies· Cookies· dessert· Easter· Fall Flavors· Holiday Favorites· snacks
August 22, 2023

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Cookie Bars – Brown sugar cinnamon filing is placed between shortbread cookie layers. It all gets a…
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Fried Onion Petals

Fried Onion Petals

appetizer· snacks
June 8, 2023

Fried Onion Petals – Sweet onion is sliced into petals, seasoned, and fried until perfectly crispy. Served with homemade horseradish…
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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

a hand holding up a cinnamon bun soft pretzel

Cinnamon Bun Soft Pretzels

close up of a slice of pumpkin crumb cake separated from the rest of the cake but not on a plate yet

Pumpkin Crumb Cake

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

slices of Pumpkin Banana Bread on a cotton napkin with walnuts sprinkled around and bananas in the background, shot from a side angle

Pumpkin Banana Bread

picture of apple pecan farro salad served on a white plate

Apple Pecan Farro Salad

pumpkin cinnamon pull apart loaf with a center slice visable

Pumpkin Cinnamon Pull Apart Loaf

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

The Best Waffles

a slice of cinnamon swirl doughnut bread with a fork cutting it in with the other half of the bread next to it on a piece of parchment paper and a cloth napkin, shot from a side angle

Cinnamon Swirl Doughnut Loaf

strawberry brioche bun on a gray table

Strawberry Brioche Buns

a short glass with a gold rim filled with cherry bourbon spritz and a garnish of rosemary twig

Cherry Bourbon Spritz

 

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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