A Cumming resident was recently crowned the nation's top pastry chef.

Alex Hwang, assistant pastry chef at Cherokee Town and Country Club in Atlanta, earned the title of 2011 Pastry Chef of the Year during the American Culinary Federation National Convention.

"Of course I'm really happy about it, but it's all pretty overwhelming," she said.

Hwang was one of four competitors for the title. She was chosen to represent the Southeast region of the United States after qualifying events. The other chefs represented the Central, Northeast and Western regions.

"I always think there's a 50-50 shot of winning," she said. "But it's hard to imagine actually winning. I thought I'd just practice a lot and do my best."

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