By Angela Belsino
Photo courtesy of the author

The Fall 2014 Chat Pal Meet & Greet was sweetened by the skillful pastry craft of Karen Trejo, who presented “Golden Autumn” to give her personal contribution to the FUA event. Chat Pal is an activity sponsored by the Student Life & Development office and department of FUA, and it seeks to bring together Italian and English speakers in an exchange of languages and cultures.

The Golden Autumn dessert is is a French-style “tarte sucrée” which features a pumpkin-flavored dough base and a sponge cake. The delicious dessert was finished with a rich layer of mascarpone mousse on top. The crunchy tarte base, pumpkin flavor, and creaminess of the mascarpone were a unique combination of textures. The overall inspiration came from the autumn season, whose abundance is symbolized by the emblematic pumpkin.

Karen Trejo is a Career Student from the Master in International Baking and Pastry program. She is from Mexico City and has been working in the food industry for 10 years. Her main goal for the Career Program is to start her own business and never stop learning from the expertise and experiences of others.