holiday favorite

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

Pistachio Loaf

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 slice of chocolate cream pie with a bite out of it on a plate with more pie in the background, shot from the front

Chocolate Cream Pie

picture of mixed berry almond tart dusted with powdered sugar shot at an angle from the front

Mixed Berry Almond Tart

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

Slow Cooker Short Ribs

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CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado

Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls with glaze in a baking dish

Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls

doughnuts and sweet rolls· Easter
August 7, 2016

Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls – Classic cinnamon rolls are kicked up a notch with the addition of diced apples and fall spices to make these taste just like fresh apple pie. Perfect for any breakfast or brunch, especially during the holidays! If there’s one thing I’ve learned about my husband’s taste in sweets, is that he’s as traditional as you can…
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grilled corn guacamole and ears of corn

Roasted Corn Guacamole

dips· Summertime Favorites
August 4, 2016

Ever since we moved into our new house, we’ve been grilling like crazy. See, we weren’t allowed to have a grill at our apartment, so this is a new treat for us. So, of course, I had to look through my cook books to see what kind of goodies we could whip up with our new grill. One of my…
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Red Velvet Macarons - A classic french cookie made with a red velvet cookie and cream cheese filling. A elegant little dessert perfect for bridal showers and tea parties!

Red Velvet Macarons

Cookies· Holiday Favorites· Valentine's Day
August 1, 2016

Red Velvet Macarons – A classic french cookie made with a red velvet cookie and cream cheese filling. A elegant little dessert perfect for bridal showers and tea parties! Ever since we visited Paris last year, I have been in love with macarons. If you haven’t had a macaron before, you’ve been missing out! They are these traditional French sandwich…
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Beer and Cheese Biscuits - Super cheesy biscuits are taken to a whole other level with the addition of beer. You'll be shocked by how easy they are to make! Perfect for breakfast sandwiches or alongside your favorite dinner.

Beer and Cheese Biscuits

biscuits
July 24, 2016

Beer and Cheese Biscuits – Super cheesy biscuits are taken to a whole other level with the addition of beer. You’ll be shocked by how easy they are to make! Perfect for breakfast sandwiches or alongside your favorite dinner.  People always ask me: how do you decide on what you’re going to make? There are mainly two things that help…
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chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream

ice cream· Summertime Favorites
July 19, 2016

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream – A chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream that tastes like cookie dough in every bite. Well, hello there. It’s been quite a long time. Where have I been, you ask? Long story short, I got lazy and let life get in the way of my blogging. But my baking and love of food…
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Coca-Cola Cupcakes

cake
July 8, 2012

Coca-Cola Cupcakes – Cocoa-cola adds a yummy sweetness to these chocolate cupcakes! Now, I’m gonna be honest with ya’ll (clearly living in the South has changed me a bit)…I turned my nose up to all recipes I saw that had any kind of soda in it: cherry cola, Mountain Dew, Sprite, you name it. Being the classic cook that I…
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Chocolate-Covered Turtles with Bacon

candy
May 21, 2012

Chocolate-Covered Turtles with Bacon – Chocolate turtles made with pecans and a special ingredient. Bacon! It’s back! After a few months off, I finally received another food challenge at work. No, not another bake-off challenge, but an ingredient challenge. The partner at my job loves to make requests/challenges for Friday treat that I’m bringing in that week. Of course, 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

a trio of gingerbread souffles on a serving platter

Gingerbread Soufflé

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

Chocolate Snickerdoodles

vinaigrette dressing being poured over a plate of Orchard Harvest Salad (Panera Copycat) from a glass bottle with a half and whole pair and cherry preserves in the background, shot from a side angle

Orchard Harvest Salad (Panera Copycat)

close up pork chops on a plate with Dijon apple pan sauce on top and a rosemary garnish

Dijon Apple Pork Chops

styled shot of a stack of chocolate pecan pie cheesecake bars

Chocolate Pecan Pie Cheesecake Bars

pumpkin challah bread sliced with a knife

Pumpkin Challah Bread

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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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📤 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
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📤 SHARE with someone who loves coconut!

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

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