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CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado

Cookbooks

cover photo of entertaining made easy cookbook

I have always loved entertaining. Growing up, I tried out new recipes during Easter brunches, birthday parties, and Thanksgiving dinners. The more I practiced, the more comfortable I became making food for groups of people.

To share what I’ve learned and make entertaining more approachable, I geared my second cookbook towards those who love to entertain but feel a little intimidated by the process. It’s called Entertaining Made Easy: Recipes, Menus, and Inspiration for Effortless Celebrations. My goal for this book is to give you the same confidence to tackle any event—big or small, fancy or casual. I’m sharing all the tips and tricks I’ve picked up from years of hosting. Not every event I hosted went well, but I learned so much from each failure.

All the recipes in this book are simple to make and perfect for any gathering. Some contain only five ingredients, some can be executed in under 30 minutes, some can be made in one pot or on a baking sheet, and some aren’t cooked at all. For recipes that require a little more work, I share all my best tips and tricks for ensuring the dish comes out perfectly.

Not only do I provide recipes that can be used for all kinds of entertaining, but I also give you specifics on the Five Elements of Entertaining and how to apply them to 12 different types of events. The five elements include:

  1. The Occasion
  2. The People
  3. The Location
  4. The Menu
  5. The Entertainment

Along with those elements, I will provide a timeline for the event prep and some additional tips to help make your event extra special.

Some of the types of events that you’ll get guidance on include:

  • Graduation Parties
  • Baby Showers
  • Game Nights
  • Housewarming Parties
  • Wine Tastings

I cannot wait for you to see all the great things this book has to offer. It officially goes on sale October 27, 2020 but preordering has already begun. Preorder your copy TODAY!

I have published a cookbook that will help you learn everything you need to know about pastry – Pastry for Beginners: Step-by-Step Recipes for Sweet and Savory Treats. This cookbook starts with a thorough introduction to the ins and outs of baking with pastry to help you understand why we do the the things we do. In this cookbook you’ll answer the following questions:

  • What are the most important kitchen tools necessary for pastry?
  • Why is cold butter important when making pie dough?
  • What is the best way to measure ingredients?
  • How do I use pastry bag?
  • What are the secrets to fluffy yeast dough?

After you’ve learned everything you need to know about pastry, the following chapters break down the four major types of pastry:

  • Pie Dough
  • Puff Pastry
  • Yeast Dough
  • Choux Pastry

You’ll learn a master recipe for each chapter that is then used in the recipes that follow. As a bonus, each chapter has a few variations of the master recipe so you can flex those pastry skills you just learned!

Grab a copy for yourself today!

  • Amazon
  • Target
  • Barnes & Noble
  • Walmart
  • Books-a-Million
  • Indiebound
  • Indigo

 

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

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

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Cookie Bars

autumn kale salad in a blue salad bowl

Autumn Kale Salad

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 pumpkin oatmeal cream pies on cotton napkins with a platter behind it with more pies in the background, shot from the front

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cream Pies

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

Chocolate Cinnamon Babka

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

Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew

ORDER MY NEW COOKBOOK NOW!

photo of entertaining made easy cookbook available for preorder now

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holiday favorite

zoomed in shot of min fruit tarts, shot from a side angle

Classic Fruit Tarts

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

Almond Butter Chocolate Tarts

The Best Waffles

bailey cheesecake brownie bites on a dessert plate with one missing a bite to expose the creamy center

Baileys Cheesecake Brownie Bites

brooklyn blackout cupcakes

Brooklyn Blackout Cupcakes

 

Fluffy, buttery sweet rolls covered in powder suga Fluffy, buttery sweet rolls covered in powder sugar. Perfect with a morning coffee!

To find this recipe, search for 'Mallorca Sweet Bread' on certifiedpastryaficionado.com

#sweetbread #sweetbreadrecipe #mallorcafoodie  #breadrolls #foodphotography #foodpics #marthafood #food #instafood #yum #eatingfortheinsta #instayum #picoftheday #foodblog #delicious #beautifulcuisine #foodgasm #nomnomnom #feedfeed #foodietribe #eeeeeats #huffposttaste #buzzfeast #buzzfeedfood #TODAYfood #foodblogeats
Thick rice noodles are stir-fried with egg, chicke Thick rice noodles are stir-fried with egg, chicken, broccoli, and a savory and slightly sweet sauce.

To find this recipe, search for 'Pad See Ew' on certifiedpastryaficionado.com

#padseeew #pastadish #pastarecipe  #ricenoodles  #foodphotography #foodpics #marthafood #food #instafood #yum #eatingfortheinsta #instayum #picoftheday #foodblog #delicious #beautifulcuisine #foodgasm #nomnomnom #feedfeed #foodietribe #eeeeeats #huffposttaste #buzzfeast #buzzfeedfood #TODAYfood #foodblogeats
Homemade, chewy dough is twisted in a pretzel shap Homemade, chewy dough is twisted in a pretzel shape, dipped in a soda bath, and baked until deep golden brown.

To find this recipe, search for 'Soft Pretzels' on certifiedpastryaficionado.com

#homemadedough #pretzlesrecipe #homemadepretzels #homemadesnacks 
#puffpastry  #foodphotography #foodpics #marthafood #food #instafood #yum #eatingfortheinsta #instayum #picoftheday #foodblog #delicious #beautifulcuisine #foodgasm #nomnomnom #feedfeed #foodietribe #eeeeeats #huffposttaste #buzzfeast #buzzfeedfood #TODAYfood #foodblogeats
Jumbo elbow macaroni and beef is tossed with a cre Jumbo elbow macaroni and beef is tossed with a creamy tomato sauce. It’s a perfect meal for weeknight dinners!

To find this recipe, search for 'Creamy Tomato Macaroni Beef' on certifiedpastryaficionado.com

#pastarecipe #macaronibeef #creamymacaroni #macaronirecipies 
#foodphotography #foodpics #marthafood #food #instafood #yum #eatingfortheinsta #instayum #picoftheday #foodblog #delicious #beautifulcuisine #foodgasm #nomnomnom #feedfeed #foodietribe #eeeeeats #huffposttaste #buzzfeast #buzzfeedfood #TODAYfood #foodblogeats
Raspberry jam and fresh whipped cream are sandwich Raspberry jam and fresh whipped cream are sandwiched between two vanilla sponge cakes and dusted with powdered sugar. A British classic dessert perfect for dessert or afternoon tea.

To find this recipe, search for 'Victoria Sandwich Cake' on certifiedpastryaficionado.com

#victoriacake #victoriasandwichcake  #vvictoriaspongecake
#puffpastry #puffpastrydessert #foodphotography #foodpics #marthafood #food #instafood #yum #eatingfortheinsta #instayum #picoftheday #foodblog #delicious #beautifulcuisine #foodgasm #nomnomnom #feedfeed #foodietribe #eeeeeats #huffposttaste #buzzfeast #buzzfeedfood #TODAYfood #foodblogeats
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