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Get the scoop on this year’s Girl Scout cookies; which is your favorite?
What would winter be without Girl Scout cookies?
Fortunately, most of us have never had to answer that question.
Friendly neighborhood Girl Scouts have been fundraising with these delicious treats for more than 80 years. The first nationally franchised Girl Scout cookie sale was in 1936.
There have been some changes along the way — in cookie names, packaging, bakers, price and in cookies being sold — but the integrity, ambition and appeal of the cookie sales have remained constant.
What is your favorite Girl Scout cookie?(surveys)
About the cookies
“We always sell eight (varieties of) cookies,” said Ann MacDonald, communications manager of Girl Scouts of Western Ohio. “The size and recipe of the cookies have not changed in the last year, although the price is now $3.50 (up from $3).”
MacDonald cited the increase in production and transportation costs for the bump in price.
When asked whether the recession had impacted their sales, she said: “The preorder sales are a tad down, but the cookie booth sales are up, so it has pretty much evened out.”
As for questions about the cookies themselves, the newspaper enlisted 11 very willing taste-testers (some adults, some kids) to sample the specific varieties available this year.
(To vote for your favorite, scroll down in this post.)
Our tasters noted their favorites and rated each cookie on a scale of 1 to 5 (with 5 being the best).
Here are their findings, as well as other details about the cookies:
Caramel deLites: These cookies, once known as Samoas, are described by the Girl Scouts “as vanilla cookies drenched in caramel, sprinkled with toasted coconut and laced with cocoa stripes.”
These were a top choice among our taste-testers overall, although the coconut can make or break one’s opinion of the cookie.
As Brian put it, “Great mix of tastes. I love coconut, so these are a slam dunk (in milk).”
Rating: Three testers chose this as their favorite cookie, and it was in a three-way tie with Thin Mints and Peanut Butter Sandwiches for tops in the voting, averaging 3.8.
Peanut Butter Patties: The cookie formerly known as the Tagalong is described as “crispy vanilla cookies layered with real peanut butter and blanketed with chocolatey coating.”
Our taste-testers had little negative to say about this choice.
As MB summed it up: “I’m pretty sure there’s a Peanut Butter Patty Fan Club — if there isn’t, there should be! Addictive!”
Rating: Another three testers selected this as tops overall, but it averaged just 3.3 in the ratings.
Shortbreads: These old-fashioned favorites, once known as Trefoils, are described as “a traditional favorite with a buttery, light flavor.”
Opinions on this cookie ranged from Mark’s “dry and less flavorful than the previous version that had granulated sugar on top,” to Lou’s “a classic I could eat all day.”
Miles added: “Don’t underestimate it.”
Rating: No one on the panel picked the Shortbread as their favorite, and it averaged 3.3.
Thin Mints: These “thin chocolate wafers dipped in a rich chocolatey coating with a burst of pure peppermint” are reportedly one of the most popular cookies sold in the U.S., second only to Oreos.
That popularity was mostly matched among our taste-testers.
Carol put it succinctly when she said: “Still great. There is really nothing like it in a non-Scout cookie.”
Rating: This cookie only topped the list of one taster, but averaged 3.8 in the ratings.
Peanut Butter Sandwiches: Once known as Do-si-dos, these cookies are described as “smooth peanut butter sandwiched between crunchy oatmeal cookies.”
Although only one tester chose this as his favorite cookie, it got good grades from the group as a whole.
As Ozzie said: “Maybe I just like peanut butter a lot, but this one was very tasty, with a satisfying crunchiness.”
But the crunch was off-putting for others.
“They remind me of vending machine peanut butter crackers,” Melissa said. “Hard cookies.”
Rating: One vote for favorite, but it averaged 3.8 in the ratings.
Thanks-A-Lot: These more recent additions to the Girl Scout mix, and are a descendant of the All-Abouts. They are described as “shortbread cookies dipped in rich fudge and topped with an embossed thank you message in one of five languages.”
The scores of this cookie were greatly helped by the kids on our panel, as well one of the youngest adults.
After trying the Thanks-A-Lot, Kyle said: “No, thank you, Girl Scouts of America.”
Rating: One picked it as a favorite, and it averaged 3.6 in the voting.
Lemonades: Even newer than the Thanks-A-Lot is the Lemonade. It is described as “savory slices of shortbread with a refreshingly tangy lemon icing.”
While some welcomed the “lemony sunshine,” others called it “sickly sweet.”
Rating: It was the favorite of two tasters, and averaged 3.4 in voting.
Daisy Go Rounds: The newest cookie in the bunch, the Daisy Go Round was introduced last year. It is the latest reduced-fat option.
It is described as “crispy cinnamon flowers blooming with flavor in every bite.”
Unfortunately, most of our testers might prefer eating actual daisies.
Carol said: “Horrible; I’d rather not have a cookie.”
Ben added, “Not interested! Daisy Go Away!”
Rating: No one picked this cookie as their favorite, and it scored far worse than any of the others at 2.0. However, it is good to remember that it is a low-fat cookie competing against more decadent versions.
About the Scouts
For this year’s cookie sales and fundraising drive, the Girl Scouts of the USA adopted a new theme: “Every Cookie Has a Mission.”
MacDonald said the theme reflects the drive to help girls do great things.
“Girl Scouts provides leadership experience for girls, so they can learn and grow into great human beings,” she said.
The cookie sale is part of this mission in that it raises money for the troops to take part in camps, trips and other educational opportunities, she said.
The Girl Scouts note that all proceeds from cookie sales stay in the local community. The sales also provide lessons in responsibility and community service.
“The focus (of the sales) is really for girls to learn communication skills, and have one-on-one contact with people,” she said.
This is the reason for the sales not being held online.
“We encourage people to order through families, or girls at their church, temple, mosque, (etc.),” MacDonald added.
How to get cookies
Preorders are under way from individual Girl Scouts through Jan. 26.
After that, from Feb. 19 through March 21, there will be cookie booth sales at a variety of businesses, including many area Kroger stores, according to MacDonald.
For more information on where and when to get your cookies, visit www.girlscoutcookies.org.
Enter your ZIP code on that site, and you will be contacted about a troop to buy from near you.
For more information, customers also can call (800) 233-4845 or (800) 537-6241.
Permalink | Comments (14) | Post your comment | Categories: Consumer interest
Comments
By carolyn
January 16, 2010 9:43 AM | Link to this
my nieces love the lemonades. the “thanks a lot” are bland, dunk em in your coffee. thin mints frozen are awesome and peanut butter patty is the new caramel delight!
By jamie, former girl scout
January 17, 2010 1:41 PM | Link to this
i love lemonades, thin mints, peanut butter sandwiches, and tagalongs. i only tried lemonades for the first time last year, and they are my new favorites! oh, and i agree with carolyn…thin mints are very good frozen! if you like thin mints or tagalongs, try the blizzards from dairy queen or the ice cream (by edy’s i believe). it’s very good!
By jamie, former girl scout
January 17, 2010 1:42 PM | Link to this
i love lemonades, thin mints, peanut butter sandwiches, and tagalongs. i only tried lemonades for the first time last year, and they are my new favorites! oh, and i agree with carolyn…thin mints are very good frozen! if you like thin mints or tagalongs, try the blizzards from dairy queen or the ice cream (by edy’s i believe). it’s very good!
By jamie, former girl scout
January 17, 2010 1:42 PM | Link to this
i love lemonades, thin mints, peanut butter sandwiches, and tagalongs. i only tried lemonades for the first time last year, and they are my new favorites! oh, and i agree with carolyn…thin mints are very good frozen! if you like thin mints or tagalongs, try the blizzards from dairy queen or the ice cream (by edy’s i believe). it’s very good!
By jamie, former girl scout
January 17, 2010 1:43 PM | Link to this
i love lemonades, thin mints, peanut butter sandwiches, and tagalongs. i only tried lemonades for the first time last year, and they are my new favorites! oh, and i agree with carolyn…thin mints are very good frozen! if you like thin mints or tagalongs, try the blizzards from dairy queen or the ice cream (by edy’s i believe). it’s very good!
By fortressdayton
January 17, 2010 3:25 PM | Link to this
The Scout cookie sales are a rip-off. The GS don’t get a decent cut of the proceeds; opnly the monopoly cookie company gets a fat check. I suggest that the GS troops bake their own and sell those - I would then buy them and support scouts. I absolutely refuse to subsidize a horrible monopoly marketing scam. They make you feel bad if you don’t buy them. They even cut back on the number of cookies… Just give your money to your local scouts instead, that’s what I do.
By StephensKimberly
January 17, 2010 5:11 PM | Link to this
What happened to Scot teas?
By karon
January 18, 2010 1:30 PM | Link to this
I perfer the Cincinnati girl scout cookies. They have different distributors!
By Kathy
January 18, 2010 1:36 PM | Link to this
I remember when a box cost 35 cents 40 years ago and I keep buying them. Love it when they come around again. I loved the shortbread but since they changed vendors - not so much. I will try the new ones and see if I can get a favorite.
By Biff
January 19, 2010 2:25 PM | Link to this
@ Jamie, former girl scout- I’m sorry, can you repeat yourself again as I didn’t hear you THE FIRST FOUR TIMES!!!
By Martha
January 23, 2010 11:24 AM | Link to this
The Girl Scout Cookie……DELICIOUS! I sold them “fifty-something” years ago door to door. We carried at least fifty boxes of cookies on us. We had cardboard box carriers, held about twenty-five boxes of cookies each, those are sweet memories when the neighborhoods were a safer place for children to sell door to door. My how things have changed, except for the Girl Scout Cookie. I’m on my way out the door now to find some now! Martha
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