The Newest, Hottest... Girl Scout Cookie?
Chances are, the Girl Scouts have been selling cookies far longer than you’ve been eating them. They started in 1917, and what began as a humble tradition of, say, girls actually baking, has turned into a commerical juggernaut complete with “licensed bakeries”. The Girl Scout cookie FAQ even answers such questions as “Does the chocolate used in Girl Scout Cookies come from a free trade zone or is it from cacao beans picked by children?” I bet that wasn’t a question early troops had to worry about. Oh, and the answer is a very uncertain, qualified, “hopefully not”.
Regardless of whether they’re kosher (they are) or whether they have trans-fats (they do), Girl Scout Cookies have become an annual treat, available for a limited time, in fairly small quantities, and requiring face-to-face contact with… teenage girls. It’s worth it for the cookies- which vary in price depending on the region.
This year, there’s a new licensed Girl Scout production in town- the Cafe Cookie. These are the best recent addition to the lineup- the current favorites/bestsellers being the Thin Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs, Do-si-dos, Trefoils (in that order). Cinnamony, about the thickness of a Ritz cracker, the Cafe cookie is light, crispy, with a nice brown sugar/caramel finish. They remind one of our reviewers of the mysterious cookies you can find on United Airlines flights.
Girl Scout cookies can only be ordered directly from a Girl Scout troop, and, as always, about 70% of the purchase price goes to the troop and the remainder goes to one of those “licensed” bakeries. If you’re going to pick up Thin Mints or Samoas, the Cafe Cookie is a nice alternative, dunkable in milk or coffee and without any chocolate that might cause you to wonder about it’s (possibly non-fair-trade) origins.
