Champions are made in the lab
From brainstorming flavor profiles to envisioning the final product on grocery store shelves, these Wildcats took their passion for baking to the national stage with their winning shortbread cookie.
Champions aren't made overnight — trial and error are expected and needed to reach success. A group of Kansas State University grain and food science students learned what it takes to go from an assigned group to a group of champions in just a few months before competing in an American Society of Baking competition.
Assistant Professor Elisa Karkle assembled a dream team from the College of Agriculture's Department of Grain and Food Science for the 2026 Product Development Competition at the American Society of Baking conference: Addison Brandau, junior in food science and industry and bakery science and management; Rachel Featherstone, graduate student in the grain science program; Pedro Henrique De Souza, graduate student in the grain science program; and Lei Zhong, senior in bakery science and management.
The competition's main objectives were to utilize honey and its functionality in a product that incorporates two different textures, develop the product's business model and product marketing, and demonstrate market demand.
Finding their niche
The group decided on a shortbread cookie, but with a twist.
"We tried to go into grocery stores and find any cookies that had coatings or extra things to give them two textures, and we found that a lot of them were sweet," Brandau said. "There were some cool cookies, but none of them were spicy, so we knew we had an in."
After some research and brainstorming, the team devised Gochuhoney Bites: a shortbread cookie with some Asian-inspired flair.
"We used honey to soften the texture of the shortbread cookie and give it a soft bite, and then the caramel coating came from Tanghulu," Featherstone said.
Tanghulu is a traditional Chinese snack in which fruits are coated in a melted sugar mixture. The team also used gochujang and gochugaru to add spice to the cookie and coating, staying on trend with hot honey, which has become popular in the past few years.
Going beyond the lab
Along with creating a product, the team had to develop a business model, build product marketing and demonstrate market demand. Once students worked out the kinks with the cookie and finalized their market research, the group split the work at the ASB Conference to showcase Gochuhoney Bites.
Over the two days of competition, De Souza and Zhong shared informal information about the cookies, while Brandau and Featherstone took to the main stage and shared the project in its entirety.
"Rachel and Addison were responsible for the oral presentation, where they dug into the whole process," De Souza said. "The posters were shorter for people who just what to know what the product is, the process and steps and product development for the cookies."
Taking the lead
The K-State team faced 11 schools from across the U.S., and the Gochuhoney Bites reigned victorious over 21 other entries.
"It was really good to see them win because they put really good work into the product," Karkle said. "We have the knowledge, we have the labs and we have the skills. It's just a matter of giving the students the opportunity to participate.
This competition tested the students' creativity and product knowledge and helped them see what their futures in the baking industry could look like.
"From the real world, if you want to be involved in research and development in the company or in a bakery, going from zero to a product release takes a long time. Our team did each step," Zhong said. "So I can imagine, when I go to the industry, what I should do, even if it's a simple thing."
— Submitted by Alyssa Storm