It's the time of year for Girl Scout Cookies I have taken just a few minutes to pay homage to a great American tradition, one thats waited for by girls and children alike every January.
GIRL SCOUT COOKIES
Girl Scout Cookies, one of the group's biggest fundraisers, began in 1936. It only took 2 years before the group had sold a million cookies. Cookies were originally baked and "packaged" in the kitchens of the girls.
The official Girl Scout website offers this "early Girl Scout Cookie Recipe."
(recipe taken from: http://www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_cookies/cookie_history/early_years.asp)
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AN EARLY GIRL SCOUT COOKIE® RECIPE
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar plus additional amount for topping (optional)
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
Cream butter and the cup of sugar; add well-beaten eggs, then milk, vanilla, flour, salt, and baking powder. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Roll dough, cut into trefoil shapes, and sprinkle sugar on top, if desired. Bake in a quick oven (375°) for approximately 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges begin to brown. Makes six- to seven-dozen cookies.
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Two baking companies currently produce the cookies - ABC/Interbake Foods and Little Brownie Bakers. There are always Thin Mints, Do-si-dos (the peanut butter cookie formerly known as the Savannah) and Trefoils (the "original" Girl Scout cookie). Thin mints are the most popular, taking 25% of the sales. The other cookie types vary, depending on what is of interest at the time. Thin Mints are the third-most popular cookie in America.
In 2004, the varieties offered by the ABC Bakers include:
Carmel Delites (vanilla cookies drenched in caramel and sprinkled with coconut)
Iced Berry Pinatas (fruit-filled oatmeal cookie)
Peanut Butter Patties (chocolate covered patties)
Lemon Pastry Creams (reduced-fat lemon-creme cookie)
Amimal Treasures (chocolate-dipped shortbread)
The Little Brownie Bakers are baking the following in 2004:
Samoas (Similar to a Carmel Delite)
Tag Alongs (similar to peanut butter patties offered by ABC)
All Abouts (similar to Animal Treasures)
Double Dutch (A chocolate chocolate-chip cookie)
Lemon Coolers (reduced-fat vanilla cookies with lemon zest; coated in powdered sugar)
Current prices range between $2.50 and $4.00 a box. All profits from cookie sales go directly to the council in which the cookies were sold. A portion go directly to the troop that was responsible for that sale.
In addition to serving as a fundraiser, Girl Scout cookie sales teach young girls about responsibility, pride, setting and meeting goals, money-management, and communication.
If you don't want the calories but still want to help out that little girl at your door, ask her about donating some cookies; if you buy and donate, your purchase becomes tax-deductible.
On the other hand, if you can't resist eating them yourselves but are watching your waist, the Trefoils generally have the lowest calorie count per cookie. The chocolate-covered shortbread varieties have the highest. The chocolate peanut-butter patties, big surprise, have the highest fat content, and the lemon cookies have the lowest. Who are we kidding though? Just order the Thin Mints like everyone else!
Understanding the Mystique
It’s that time of year again. Well, at least it is in my part of the United States anyway. Yes, it’s cookie time. For those of you who don’t know, cookie time is referring to that special time of year when you can buy Girl Scout cookies. There is a special mystique to Girl Scout Cookies. I believe part of that is due to the fact that you can only buy Girl Scout Cookies once a year and you can only get them from cute little girls in brown (Brownies), green (Junior Girl Scouts) or khaki (Girl Scouts) uniforms.
In the Beginning...
Under Juliette Gordon Low, the woman who brought the Girl Scouts to America, cookie sales began back in 1917 to help finance Girl Scout troop activities. At that time the cookies were homemade by the scouts. It wasn’t until 1934 that Girl Scouts began selling commercially baked cookies. By 1937 there were 125 Girl Scout Councils nationwide selling cookies. Today there are over 300 councils selling cookies at different times all year long.
What's in a Name?
Ever wondered why the same cookie may have two different names? And why can't you get the same cookies everywhere? The answer is simple. Girl Scout Cookies are baked in two different bakeries, ABC/Interbake Foods and Little Brownie Bakers. Although, there are some differences you should always be able to find Thin Mints, Do-Si-Dos (Peanut Butter Sandwiches) and Trefoil (Shortbread) cookies.
Complete List of Girl Scout Cookies
Which Flavor is Your Favorite?
According to the Girl Scouts of America, Thin Mints is the favorite closely followed by Samoas®/Caramel deLites, then it's Peanut Butter Patties®/Tagalongs®, Peanut Butter Sandwich/Do-si-dos™ and then the rest. Thin Mints were my favorite for the longest time. I just love the fact I can eat a chocolate cookie and cleanse my breath at the same time. Last year, I discovered Caramel deLites (Samoas). I just love the caramel, coconut and chocolate combination. This year it’s Animal Treasures. It has such a great taste, a shortbread cookie on top with chocolate on the bottom.
Be sure to VOTE for you favorite Girl Scout Cookie.
What Do You Do With the Leftover Cookies?
My usual answer to that question is what leftover cookies? Yes, the first year my daughter sold them I bought too many boxes. She just had to have that t-shirt. By her third year of selling, she built up a good cliental and we only bought what we’d eat. If you do have leftover cookies, I’ve been told they keep well in the freezer. Another way to use those leftover cookies would be to use them in cooking. I’ve found that the recipes are all pretty much the same. They only seem to change with the cookie type. For those of you that have leftover cookies, here are several Recipes You Can Make With Girl ScoutCookies
