holiday favorite

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

Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew

zoomed in shot of orange-scented madelines on a white plate

Orange-Scented Madeleines

a plate with a slice of stone fruit tart and slices of fruit in the background, shot from the front

Stone Fruit Tart

styled shot of Chocolate Chip Cookies Bites with Fudge Frosting

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bites with Fudge Frosting

styled shot of Cranberry Apple Crumble

Cranberry Apple Crumble

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipes
  • Cookbooks
  • Work With Me
  • Contact

CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado

homemade italian meatballs tossed with spaghetti and shot from overhead

Homemade Italian Meatballs

beef entrees· pizza & pasta
September 29, 2023

Homemade Italian Meatballs – Made with pork and beef and, these are the most tender and flavorful meatballs you’ve ever had! Tips & Tricks Dice the bread in small pieces. Make sure you cut the bread into small pieces. This will ensure it mixes well into the meatballs and doesn’t leave big chunks in the meatballs. Don’t over mix the…
Read More

apple pie egg roll dipping in caramel sauce

Apple Pie Egg Rolls

dessert· doughnuts and sweet rolls· Fall Flavors· pie
September 26, 2023

Apple Pie Egg Rolls – Cinnamon apples are rolled into an egg roll wrapper with a little cream cheese and air fried until crispy. They are finished with a roll in cinnamon sugar. My air fryer has certainly surprised me. I was worried it would be another appliance striving to be the next big thing and then falling flat. But…
Read More

apple cider bundt cake with a granny smith apple in the center

Apple Cider Bundt Cake

cake
September 22, 2023

Apple Cider Bundt Cake – A perfectly spiced Bundt cake sweetened with apple cider Pumpkin tends to steal the show over this season but there are so many other incredible flavors that should be enjoyed during the fall. Apples, especially, are wonderful this time of year so I love to make lots of apple treats and even some apple cider…
Read More

oatmeal rolls sitting on a baking sheet

Oatmeal Dinner Rolls

bread· Fall Flavors
September 15, 2023

Oatmeal Dinner Rolls – Homemade dinner rolls made with oatmeal and brown sugar I love some homemade dinner rolls, hot from the oven and with a thin layer of butter spread on the inside. Mmmm. It seems only natural to save the bread baking for the fall and winter seasons since the warm oven is an easy way to cook…
Read More

front shot of pumpkin loaf cut into slices

My Favorite Pumpkin Loaf

bread· cake· dessert· Fall Flavors
September 11, 2023

My Favorite Pumpkin Loaf – The most moist, perfectly spiced pumpkin loaf. I make this every year and freeze extra for leftovers. It’s my all-time favorite loaf cake. I think we’re far enough into September to officially welcome in pumpkin season, don’t you? I mean, I already have heirloom pumpkins sitting on my front porch and pumpkin coffee brewing in…
Read More

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 baked until they are perfectly crispy. Served with a drizzle of honey. Goat cheese is a favorite of mine. I love it in a fresh salad or even baked inside a chicken breast. Baking it in phyllo has been an…
Read More

close up of two brown sugar cinnamon cookie bars stacked on top of each other

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 yummy maple cinnamon icing to take these bars over the top I stubbled upon these Brown Sugar Cinnamon Cookie Bars on Instagram. I was flabbergasted at the originality in these bars but also seemed super simple to make. They seemed…
Read More

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • …
  • 92
  • Next Page »

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

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 stack of three Apple Cider Crumb Doughnuts on a cloth napkin with more doughnuts around them, shot from the front

Apple Cider Crumb Doughnuts

styled shot of Salted Caramel Apple Pie Parfaits with a pan of pie and a can of whipped cream behind it

Salted Caramel Apple Pie Parfaits

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

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

Pumpkin Cheesecake Macarons

zoomed in shot of cut up apple cider caramels

Apple Cider Caramels

ORDER MY NEW COOKBOOK NOW!

photo of entertaining made easy cookbook available for preorder now

Breakfast
Appetizers
Entrees
Salads
Sides
Drinks
Desserts
Roundups
Holidays

Browse by Date

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Contact Me
  • Privacy Policy

 

Schnitzel Sub Sandwich – crispy fried chicken te Schnitzel Sub Sandwich – crispy fried chicken tenders topped with fresh baby arugula, a squeeze of lemon juice, and shaved Parmesan cheese in a soft hoagie bun! 

I tried this sandwich at a restaurant and fell so deeply in love that I HAD to recreate it at home, you guys! It was so SIMPLE yet so INCREDIBLE! 😍

The best part? It tastes fresh and light despite being a fried piece of chicken! The secret is all in the fresh toppings – the baby arugula, bright lemon juice, and shaved Parmesan cut through the richness of the fried chicken perfectly!

The biggest step is pounding and frying the chicken tenders, but don't worry – I use a shallow pool of oil instead of deep frying, which makes it SO much simpler at home! Just flatten the chicken evenly so it cooks through and gets super crispy!

Pro tip: Make sure to use the lemon! Fried food can taste rich and heavy, and the lemon juice is exactly what the chicken needs to lighten it up and add freshness!
Perfect for lunch, dinner, weeknight meals, or anytime you want a gourmet sandwich at home! 🥪

💬 Comment "SCHNITZEL" for the recipe
💾 SAVE for sandwich inspiration
📤 SHARE with someone who loves sandwiches!

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/schnitzel-sub-sandwich/
Texas Sheet Cake – a thin, moist chocolate cake Texas Sheet Cake – a thin, moist chocolate cake with a generous layer of fudgy chocolate icing on top! The ratio of cake to icing is absolute PERFECTION! 

Chocolate cake has been hit or miss for me my whole life, you guys! Either it's dry or bland or not chocolatey enough! But this Texas Sheet Cake? BY FAR my favorite chocolate cake of all time! 

It's perfectly moist, FULL of chocolate flavor, and that icing on top just sets it into overdrive! After one bite, I simply cannot stop eating!

The secret to this incredible cake is the right ratio of icing to cake and placing the icing on the cake while it's HOT! This seals in all the moisture and makes it absolutely DIVINE!

Pro tip: Use Dutch-processed cocoa powder instead of classic unsweetened – the chocolate flavor is way more potent! Plus, this cake bakes in under 20 minutes, so it's perfect for last-minute cravings!

Perfect for potlucks, parties, crowd feeding, or anytime you need to satisfy those chocolate cravings! 

💬 Comment "TEXASCAKE" for the recipe
💾 SAVE for chocolate emergencies
📤 SHARE with someone who loves chocolate!

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/texas-sheet-cake/
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Honey Mustard Vinaig Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette – crispy roasted Brussels sprouts tossed in a tangy, sweet honey mustard vinaigrette! 

If you had told me 5 years ago that I'd be posting a brussels sprouts recipe on this blog, I wouldn't have believed you, you guys! All I knew about them was that they were a stinky vegetable nobody liked!

Then all of a sudden, brussels sprouts were on EVERY menu at EVERY restaurant I visited! I was shocked! So when my girlfriends ordered a large side to share at dinner, I decided to try them – and I was CONVERTED! 😍

They were roasted until crispy, coated in a honey mustard vinaigrette that was tangy, crispy, and sweet! Now I'm sharing MY version so you can convert brussels sprout haters too!

Pro tip: Toss the brussels sprouts in the vinaigrette while they're still hot so they absorb all those amazing flavors!

Perfect for holiday dinners, dinner parties or anytime you need a delicious side dish! 

💬 Comment "SPROUTS" for the recipe
💾 SAVE for entertaining
📤 SHARE with a brussels sprout hater!

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/roasted-brussel-sprouts-with-honey-mustard-vinaigrette/
Cheeseburger Egg Rolls – ground beef seasoned wi Cheeseburger Egg Rolls – ground beef seasoned with mustard and Worcestershire, stuffed with American cheese and pickles, all wrapped in a crispy wonton wrapper! Served with a tangy burger sauce for dipping! 

Frying foods is not always my favorite thing to do, you guys! But when I decide to, it's gotta be worth it! And these cheeseburger egg rolls are TOTALLY worth it! You just can't get the same crisp on the wonton wrapper in the oven or air fryer!

The filling is just like a classic cheeseburger – ground beef, American cheese, a pickle, and just a hint of mustard! And the burger sauce with ketchup, mustard, and relish rounds out those classic burger flavors!

Pro tip: Drain the beef extremely well! Any excess oil will put holes in the wonton wrapper while it's frying!

Perfect for appetizers, game day, parties, tailgating, or anytime you want cheeseburger flavor in a crispy, fun package! 🍟

💬 Comment "EGGROLLS" for the recipe
💾 SAVE for party planning
📤 SHARE with someone who loves burgers!

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/cheeseburger-egg-rolls/
Coconut Tres Leches – a tropical twist on the cl Coconut Tres Leches – a tropical twist on the classic! Spongy cake soaked in three milks (including coconut cream instead of heavy cream!) and topped with whipped cream and toasted coconut! 

Despite my Hispanic heritage, tres leches is something I only started loving in my 20s, you guys! And when I did? I was almost ANGRY I had waited so long to try it!

I love taking classic recipes and giving them unique twists! For this one, I replaced the heavy cream with coconut cream and topped it with toasted coconut – because I LOVE coconut cream cake! The result? The best of both worlds – all the tres leches flavor with all the coconut goodness!

Pro tip: Make this cake a day in advance and let it sit overnight! Tres leches gets BETTER over time, and it makes a world of difference!

One of the best desserts I've made in a while – seriously, your mind will be blown with every bite! 

💬 Comment "TRESLECHES" for the recipe
💾 SAVE for dessert inspiration
📤 SHARE with someone who loves coconut!

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/coconut-tres-leches/

Copyright © 2026 Certified Pastry Aficionado · Web Design by Viva la Violet