Nearly 1,000 Liberty students packed the DeMoss Hall Grand Lobby Friday, Feb. 6 for Unity in Chocolate, a chocolate-themed bake-off hosted by LU ONE.
Students showcased desserts inspired by personal favorites recipes and cultural traditions while judges Louis Cambeletta and Andrew Edilson from Auxiliary Services sampled the entries alongside attendees and voted for their favorites.
Director of Communications and Student Engagement for LU ONE Melissa Harris led the Willy Wonka-themed baking competition.
“Unity in Chocolate was a great way to unite us through baking,” Harris said. “Each student had a special reason for choosing the dessert they baked. They were then able to share that with the attendees.”
The competition required each of the 16 student bakers to include chocolate as a key ingredient. Barring that one requirement, competitors were free to create any dessert they wished. The result was a wide variety of baked goods, ranging from brownies and croissants to cookies influenced by family recipes and cultural heritage.
Kathryn Anne Curlin, a student baker who created chocolate raspberry whoopie pies, said her dessert was inspired by both friendship and her personal taste.
“One of our other friends is from Pennsylvania and she loves whoopie pies,” Curlin said. “I personally don’t like the filling of whoopie pies, but I do love raspberry cream cheese icing, so I thought that would pair really well with the chocolate.”
Curlin noted she decided to participate after hearing about the event through a friend.
“My friend told me about this event, and I thought it sounded so fun to just bake and enter the competition,” Curlin said.
Ava Weston, a senior who competed in the event made chocolate-covered cherry cookies using a recipe that held sentimental value.
“This is one of my favorite recipes,” Weston said. “My mom makes it for Christmas.”
For Weston, baking is more than a hobby.
“I really enjoy baking as a stress relief type of activity when I’m not in school,” Weston said. “I do it a lot.”
According to Harris, attendees voted for their favorite dessert. The winners were announced on Monday. Feb. 9. The Judges choice winner, Madison Ruiz, for her tiramisu brownies and the popular vote winner, Katie Cochran, for her dark chocolate mirror-glazed cake.
Upcoming LU ONE events include Harlem Nights Feb. 20 and Table Talk Feb. 23. For more details, visit liberty.edu/lu-one.
Marshall is a campus news reporter for the Liberty Champion.