holiday favorite

close up of a split bun with cream & jam

Split Buns with Cream and Jam

a plate of BLT benedicts on a cloth napkin with half a lemon in the background, shot from a side angle

BLT Benedict

close up of caramel swirl meringue on a baking sheet

Caramel Swirl Meringues

zoomed in shot of a plate of stacked chocolate gingerbread truffles with one with a bite out of it, shot from a side angle

Chocolate Gingerbread Truffles

slice of pistachio loaf on a cutting board with the rest of the loaf in the background

Pistachio Loaf

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CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado

Classic Butter Croissants and a jar of black raspberry preserves on a baking sheet with parchment paper

Classic Butter Croissants

breakfast· Easter· pastries· Popular Recipes
September 26, 2016

Classic Butter Croissants – A classic recipe for flaky and crispy French butter croissants with step by step instructions I have some great news to share today! As you may or may not have seen on my Facebook page, I’ve been working on filming my first online course for Skillshare! Ahh! If you haven’t heard of Skillshare, here’s a quote that sums…
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molten chocolate cake with chocolate melting out the center on a plate

Molten Chocolate Cake

cake· Valentine's Day
September 22, 2016

Molten Chocolate Cake – Dense chocolate cake that has a gooey molten lava center that will make your mouth water. It’s a dessert that is sure to impress on your next date night or dinner party! Molten. Chocolate. Cake. Three words that both excite me and elicit skepticism. Let me explain. Almost every time I see this cake on a…
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Homemade Gnocchi with Pesto Cream Sauce in a bowl with another bowl of pine nuts and a wedge of parmesan and basil

Homemade Gnocchi with Pesto Cream Sauce

pizza & pasta· Popular Recipes· Valentine's Day
September 19, 2016

Homemade Gnocchi with Pesto Cream Sauce – Super fluffy homemade Italian potato dumplings (gnocchi) coated in a rich pesto cream sauce On July 3rd, 2016, my life changed forever. It was on this day that I ate one of the best meals of my life: gnocchi and pesto cream sauce. I was visiting one of my dear friends from college,…
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collage of kitchen tools and text image

Six Kitchen Tools Every Beginning Baker Needs

baking tips
September 15, 2016

*this post contains affiliate links Six Kitchen Tools Every Beginning Baker Needs – These are the tools you will most likely need if you’re starting out as a baker. In the 15 years that I’ve been baking, I have acquired almost every kitchen tool and gadget that you can think of. I’m not kidding. I have some random stuff: a…
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Strawberries & Cream Danish on a plate with strawberries around it and another plate of danish off to the side

Strawberries & Cream Danish

breakfast· Easter· pastries· Summertime Favorites· Valentine's Day
September 12, 2016

Strawberries & Cream Danish – A cream cheese danish made with puff pastry and then topped with a strawberry and a glaze made with apple jelly. It’s the best addition to any breakfast or brunch! I’ve been in such a breakfast food kick lately. I made these pumpkin doughnut muffins last week, crumb cake the week before that, and now…
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closeup of mini pumpkin doughnut muffins with one with a bite out of it

Mini Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins

breakfast· Easter· Fall Flavors· muffins
September 8, 2016

Mini Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins – Pumpkin plus cinnamon = fall in your mouth! These little muffins are the perfect size to enjoy a fall treat without all the guilt. Labor day is behind us, people. So that means…fall is heeeeeeeeeere! I definitely sang that out loud as I typed it to make sure I used the correct amount of “eeees.”…
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zoomed in shot of Nutella Macarons on a plate

Nutella Macarons

Cookies· Popular Recipes· Valentine's Day
September 5, 2016

Nutella Macarons – A classic chewy french cookie made with chocolate hazelnut spread (Nutella).  A few weeks ago, you might remember that I tried making French macarons for the first time. Well, it didn’t go exactly as planned. They tasted amazing, but they just didn’t look like traditional french macarons. I spent so much time researching proper macaron technique so I…
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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

zoomed in shot of chocolate snickerdoodles on parchment paper with a spoon in front, shot from a side angle

Chocolate Snickerdoodles

a trio of gingerbread souffles on a serving platter

Gingerbread Soufflé

two pints of high road ice cream stacked on top of each other with glass dishes of apple pie sundaes next to them and an apple slice and a apple cut in half in front, shot from the front

Apple Pie Sundae

caramel macchiato cupcakes some drizzled with caramel sauce, shot from the front

Caramel Macchiato Cupcakes

Candied Pecans

styled shot of a stack of chocolate pecan pie cheesecake bars

Chocolate Pecan Pie Cheesecake Bars

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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
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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
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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
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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
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📤 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
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📤 SHARE with someone who loves coconut!

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

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