holiday favorite

a whisking bowl with Garlic & Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes with a wooden spoon in it, shot from overhead

Garlic & Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes

zoomed in shot of a piece of Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with a bite taken out of it with a plate of more cheesecake in the background, shot from the front

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

close up of sliced loaf of chocolate cinnamon babka with the center exposed to see the beautiful swirl of chocolate

Chocolate Cinnamon Babka

Almond Butter Chocolate Tarts on a platter with a spoon of almond butter on it, shot from a side angle

Almond Butter Chocolate Tarts

plate of croissant french toast with powdered sugar and fruit with another plate in the background

Croissant French Toast

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

CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado

pineapple sorbet in a bowl with pieces of pineapple placed around it on a cloth napkin with a cutting board with cut pineapple on it, shot from a side angle

Pineapple Sorbet

dessert· ice cream· National Ice Cream Month· Summertime Favorites
April 19, 2018

Pineapple Sorbet – Only three ingredients are required to make this refreshing pineapple sorbet at home! I know it’s only the beginning of Spring and most of you are still even getting some snow! But I can’t help but look ahead to the warm summer months and dream about the incredible weather, the endless barbecues, and tons of pool time….
Read More

Homemade Grapefruit Soda in two glasses with a glass bottle of grapefruit syrup behind it and sliced grapefruit placed around the glasses, shot from the front

Homemade Grapefruit Soda

drinks· Easter· Summertime Favorites
April 16, 2018

Homemade Grapefruit Soda – Homemade grapefruit syrup is added to sparkling water and finished with crushed ice and a pink straw to make the perfect refreshing drink Drink recipes are some of my favorite ones to share with you guys soI am shocked that it’s been so long since I’ve shared one with you. The last one was a recipe…
Read More

a plate of Beer Battered Corn Fritters with a dish of dipping sauce next to them on top of a napkin with three bottles of Modelo beer and a glass with beer in it and a bottle cap behind it, shot from a side angle

Beer Battered Corn Fritters

appetizer· snacks· Tailgating Recipes
April 12, 2018

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Constellation Brands. All opinions are mine alone. The following content is intended for readers who are 21 or older. #CelebratorySips #CelebrateWithModelo #CollectiveBias Beer Battered Corn Fritters – Corn, green chiles, and cheddar cheese are tossed in a homemade Modelo Especial beer batter and fried into delicious little fritters. The older…
Read More

a plate with a Banana Nut Cinnamon Roll on it with a fork next to it and a baking pan in the background, shot from a side angle

Banana Nut Cinnamon Rolls

breakfast· doughnuts and sweet rolls· Easter
April 9, 2018

Banana Nut Cinnamon Rolls – Fluffy homemade cinnamon rolls are filled with the perfect mixture of sliced bananas, brown sugar, cinnamon, and chopped walnuts. It’s the breakfast treat you never knew you needed! No matter what I make for my husband, I can never seem to top my apple pie cinnamon rolls. If anyone ever asks what’s the best thing…
Read More

a plate of Healthy Waldorf Salad with a bunch of grapes and a platter of waldorf salad in the background, shot from a side angle

Healthy Waldorf Salad

appetizer· Easter· salad· sides· snacks· Summertime Favorites
April 6, 2018

Healthy Waldorf Salad – This classic salad of apples, grapes, walnuts, and celery is given a healthy makeover with the substitution of mayo with Greek yogurt. Now that spring is here, I am craving tons of salads: pasta salad, fruit salad, broccoli salad – you name it! We had salads left over from Easter and, on more than one occasion,…
Read More

styled shot of Pistachio Biscotti on a table with shelled pistachios sprinkled around, shot from a side angle

Pistachio Biscotti

Cookies· dessert· Easter· Holiday Favorites
April 3, 2018

Pistachio Biscotti – Chopped pistachios are baked into these Italian cookies that are perfect for dunking into your coffee or espresso. Welcome to a new month, everyone! You know what that means – it’s cookie time! And today we’re going international for our recipe. Have you had biscotti before? They’re Italian cookies that are baked twice and thus extra crunchy,…
Read More

a plate of Slow Cooker Short Ribs with sprigs of thyme on top, shot from a side angle

Slow Cooker Short Ribs

beef entrees· Holiday Favorites· Valentine's Day
March 29, 2018

Slow Cooker Short Ribs – Beef short ribs are cooked in a slow cooker to help break down the meat and make it ultra-tender and juicy. Served with a rich red-wine gravy. I can’t believe I haven’t shared a slow cooker recipe with you guys yet! Granted, I don’t use my slow cooker regularly, but still…I use it enough to…
Read More

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 63
  • 64
  • 65
  • 66
  • 67
  • …
  • 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

styled shot of Sweet Yeast Rolls on a plate with a bowl of Whipped Pumpkin Butter and a basket of rolls and a pumpkin in the background, shot from a side angle

Sweet Yeast Rolls with Whipped Pumpkin Butter

a trio of gingerbread souffles on a serving platter

Gingerbread Soufflé

slices of iced pumpkin scones drizzled with frosting on a wire rack on top of parchment paper, shot from overhead

Iced Pumpkin Scones

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

angled view of cup of dirt pudding

Cup of Dirt Pudding

plate of pecan sticky bun

Pecan Sticky Buns

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

 

Strawberry Cheesecake Milkshake – vanilla ice cr Strawberry Cheesecake Milkshake – vanilla ice cream blended with real strawberries, actual cheesecake chunks, and topped with whipped cream, graham cracker crumbs, and a fresh strawberry! 🍓

I am very picky about my milkshakes, you guys! They HAVE to be (1) thick, (2) full of flavor, and (3) loaded with texture! This milkshake checks all the boxes!

This one was inspired by my husband's obsession with the Strawberry Cheesequake Blizzard from Dairy Queen! 

He LOVES it, so I decided to recreate it at home – but better! Instead of using strawberry ice cream and cream cheese, I used REAL strawberries and a real slice of cheesecake for that authentic chunky texture!

The key to making this milkshake so thick? I only use ½ cup of milk! The juice from the fresh strawberries helps liquefy the ice cream, so you don't need much liquid at all!
Pro tip: Make sure you're using the BEST vanilla ice cream you can find! Since this recipe is so simple, the quality of the ingredients really makes all the difference!

Perfect for summer treats, date nights, hot days, or anytime you want a decadent, fruity dessert in a glass! 🥤

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

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/strawberry-cheesecake-milkshake/
Watermelon Basil Lemonade – homemade lemonade sw Watermelon Basil Lemonade – homemade lemonade sweetened with basil sugar and fresh watermelon juice for a complex, refreshing summer drink!

I love making my lemonade from scratch, you guys! It gives me the freedom to experiment with unique flavors like this watermelon basil combo! I've used watermelon in drinks before (hello, Watermelon Sangria and Watermelon Margaritas!), so I knew it would be PERFECT with lemonade!

Watermelon is such a major symbol of summer, so pairing it with fresh basil takes it to another level! The basil adds an herbaceous, complex flavor that regular lemonade could never achieve! 

This is one of those drinks that looks impressive but is incredibly simple to make – just 10 minutes of prep time and you've got something that tastes like it came straight from a summer garden!

Pro tip: Don't skip the salt! With a drink as sweet and sour as this lemonade, a little salt balances it all out and prevents it from being overly cloying!
Perfect for summer BBQs, entertaining guests, hot days, or anytime you want a refreshingly unique drink! 

💬 Comment "WATERMELONLEMONADE" for the recipe
💾 SAVE for summer entertaining
📤 SHARE with someone who loves lemonade!

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/watermelon-basil-lemonade
Fluffernutter Sandwich Three Ways – marshmallow Fluffernutter Sandwich Three Ways – marshmallow creme and peanut butter come together to make the ultimate sweet sandwich using three unique peanut butter flavors: Mighty Maple, Cinnamon Raisin Swirl, and Dark Chocolate Dreams! 

Peanut butter is probably my favorite dessert flavor, you guys! I mean, I have posted THREE different peanut butter cookie recipes in the past year, and that's not even including my PB&J Ice Cream Sandwiches! If this is what addiction looks like, please don't make me control it! 😍

It's my go-to dessert when I have the biggest sweet tooth but no cake or ice cream or candy around! I almost always have the ingredients on hand for a fluffernutter, so I never have to suffer "sweet pains" for too long!

Instead of making a plain fluffernutter, I decided to test three unique peanut butter flavors from Peanut Butter & Co! And I was shocked by the results! Dark Chocolate Dreams (my first love!) trumped the Cinnamon Raisin Swirl! There's something about how the Dark Chocolate Dreams melts into the marshmallow creme that makes me melt after each bite!

Pro tip: Cook on medium-low temp so the peanut butter has time to melt before the bread gets toasty! The melty peanut butter is the BEST part!

Perfect for when you need a quick dessert fix, a sweet treat, or anytime your sweet tooth takes over! 

💬 Comment "FLUFFERNUTTER" for the recipe
💾 SAVE for sweet cravings
📤 SHARE with a peanut butter addict!

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/fluffernutter-sandwich-three-ways/
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/

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