holiday favorite

a hand holding up a maple molasses cookie to show all the detailed cracks in the top of the cookie

Maple Molasses Cookies

photo of two glasses of sangria with the pitcher in the background

Cranberry Apple Sangria

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

Iced Pumpkin Scones

plate of bananas foster french toast casserole on a plate with a bottle of syrup and a baking dish with casserole in the background, shot from the front

Bananas Foster French Toast Casserole

Candied Pecans

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

CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado

Pretzel Rolo Cookie Cups

Cookies
May 13, 2012

Pretzel Rolo Cookie Cups – Chocolate caramel candies baked in a brown sugar cookie shell and topped with a pretzel. This week’s post comes from, you guessed it, another request from work. I love making things that people suggest. Plus, it opens me up to recipes that I probably wouldn’t have made otherwise. This recipe was found by one of…
Read More

Sea Salt Caramels

candy
April 26, 2012

Sea Salt Caramels – A super simple recipe to make salted caramels at home. French cuisine has to be my favorite cuisine of them all, not just because it tastes great (which it so does) but because of how classic it is. Don’t you just feel more sophisticated when you’re eating a soufflé or a croissant or coq au vin…
Read More

Blueberry Crumb Bars

bars and brownies· Easter· Summertime Favorites
April 22, 2012

Blueberry Crumb Bars – Fresh blueberries with a hint of lemon zest on top of a buttery crust and sprinkled with golden crumbs. As you probably know by now, most of my baked goods are made specifically for my co-workers. I love baking (duh.) but there’s no way I could keep all of these goodies at my house. So I…
Read More

Lemon Poppyseed Pound Cake

cake· Easter· Summertime Favorites
April 9, 2012

Lemon Poppyseed Pound Cake – A classic lemon pound cake with gorgeous poppyseeds scattered throughout. Well, it happened. Someone decided to challenge me to another bake-off at work. Let me remind you the last time someone decided to challenge me to a bake-off…well, all you really need to know is I kicked Little Debbie’s ass. Ok, fine. I guess if…
Read More

Bourbon Peach Hand Pies

Easter· pie· Summertime Favorites
March 25, 2012

Bourbon Peach Hand Pies – Mini peach hand pies with a hint of bourbon. This week’s baked good was inspired by my co-worker’s love of the fried peach pies that are served at the Varsity, a famous fast-food spot here in Atlanta. They’re similar to the apple pies from McDonalds, just with peaches instead of apples. We’ve discussed them multiple…
Read More

Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

biscuits· Easter
March 21, 2012

Southern Buttermilk Biscuits – These southern buttermilk biscuits are given a little boost from active drive yeast so they become light and fluffy. When I found myself with a pint of buttermilk leftover that would surely go to waste, I decided to browse for recipes to see what I could do with it. And then it hit me…buttermilk biscuits! I…
Read More

Glazed Doughnut Muffins

breakfast· Easter· muffins
March 11, 2012

Glazed Doughnut Muffins – These muffins have the texture and flavors of classic cake doughnuts, covered in glaze. At work, we have an extremely busy part of the year (referred to as our “busy season”). Busy season runs from about January to March. For my team, it ended on February 23rd. To celebrate the end of this stressful and grueling…
Read More

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 89
  • 90
  • 91
  • 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

a bowl of Butterscotch Vanilla Bean Sauce with a spoon in it and a bowl of brown sugar with a spoon in it on a cloth napkin, shot from a side angle

Butterscotch Vanilla Bean Sauce

styled shot of pumpkin snickerdoodles

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

pumpkin challah bread sliced with a knife

Pumpkin Challah Bread

overhead shot of partially eaten baked carrot cake oatmeal in casserole dish with serving spoon

Baked Carrot Cake Oatmeal

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

zoomed in shot of a bowl of sweet potato gnocchi, shot from a side angle

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Browned Butter

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