(Photo by: Jasmine Mills)

Warm and rosy raspberry cookies that melt in your mouth, glossy fruit tarts that glow bright red under the lights, and Natalie’s peanut buttery Reese’s flavored macaron with its crisp shell and creamy center–these are but a few favorites of JCCC’s Summer pastry menu.

Beyond the delicacies of soft and crumbly treats, the student-run Pastry Shop is an opportunity for students to work together, be creative, and accomplish something great. Culinary student Nesha Salisbury says, “It brings a calmness over me and clears my mind.” The Pastry Shop is not just flavors and pats of powdered sugar– it is an intense course in technicality, timing, and real-world experiences, which Chef Fraase delivers with kindness and understanding.

For more than eight years, culinary leader Chef Fraase has led the student-run Pastry Shop, where every pastry is baked fresh that morning and sold until trays are completely wiped out. “It’s something I’ve always enjoyed,” shares Chef Fraase. “It’s rewarding. We are here to make people happy, and that makes me feel happy”. Mariela Ferkel, a Chef in training, says, “We work really hard to create pastry products, and seeing how many people attend the bake sale to support us is very rewarding.”

There’s just one week left to savor the summer flavors before the fall menu rolls in. “I came here before I even enrolled at JCCC…the Fall menu is one I look forward to,” says Addison, a satisfied, loyal customer. Come early, follow the warm, toasty smells down the halls of the Wylie Hospitality and Culinary Academy, Thursdays 3-5PM, and taste what JCCC’s culinary students have been perfecting all season.