The Carolina Food Company is cooking up new ideas for signature food items in dining halls across USC. This is seen through the addition of the Cocky Cookie, a treat with school-spirit-inspired twists.
The Cocky Cookie made its first appearance in dining halls in November 2021 and can now be found in all six residential dining halls.
“Things like this signature item — and really ingraining ourselves in the university — is very important to us, so establishing these signature items that are reflective specifically of USC is very important,” Faren Alston, the marketing director for Carolina Food Company, said.
The Carolina Food Company is refocusing its culinary program and offerings on campus by introducing a signature dessert item. The dessert came shortly after USC was recognized nationally with a Culinary Innovation Award from Aramark, the university's food service company, last year.
USC’s signature cookie, called the Cocky Cookie, has chocolate chips, red Craisins and cornflakes for an extra crunch. The creator of the cookie Kyle Smothers, the campus executive pastry chef, thought up the idea after Kyle Hinton, the campus culinary director, proposed the addition of a signature campus dessert.
After sifting through different ideas, such as a signature cupcake or sugar cookie, Smothers finally landed on modifying a classic recipe: the chocolate chip cookie, due to its popularity and ease in producing.
The signature Cocky Cookie was completed after some trial and error with Smothers' go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe.
“I lowered the amount of chocolate chips, added the Craisins for the garnet and black coloring inspiration,” Smothers said.
Adding cornflakes — a traditional southern ingredient and an homage to the diet of USC’s fighting rooster mascot — was the final touch of the cookie.
“I just try to infuse all of the pastries with as much school spirit and school pride as I can because we love the school as much as the students do,” Smothers said.
Alston said that Carolina Food Company is continuing to look for opportunities to embody USC's spirit in dishes with different campus chef competitions.
“The chefs did a bracket-style competition for students to be able to vote on the signature chicken sandwich that would be featured across campus,” Alston said. “So when we find opportunities to do those types of things, we definitely would like to be able to implement those across campus.”
Alston said they are continuing these types of competitions to receive more student input and plan to focus on plant-forward, meaning plant-based and healthy, recipes this semester.
Carolina Food Company held a signature cupcake competition at the Bustle at the Russell this year. There, students decorated cupcakes, competing for the chance to have their design featured every Friday at all six residential dining halls starting this semester.
“Getting student feedback input is definitely important to us, not only to ensure that our dining program is moving in the right direction, but also so students feel like they’re a part of the dining program and the decisions that are made,” Alston said.
Some students around campus are noticing the student-focused culture and the spirit-filled desserts in the dining halls.
Caroline Mentel, a second-year International Studies student, said the sweet treat “really embodies USC as a cookie." She tried it for the first time at Gibbes Court Bistro, her favorite dining hall, last semester.
More signature dishes that reflect the Garnet and Black spirit, like the Cocky Cookie, are planning on being served in dining halls across USC. Specifically, a signature chicken sandwich is in the process of being added to menus across campus.
“One of the first things that anyone notices when they walk onto campus is the rich history and the sense of pride, '' Faren said. “We definitely want to ensure that is reflected in the food.”