Girl Scout Cookies, What’s in and What’s out

Some Girl Scout Councils are narrowing their cookie flavors down to just six. No fear, your favorites are still available in the Texarkana area.

Ordering started on January 8th and booth sales will start soon.  According to a Press Release from the corporate office for Girl Scouts – Diamonds of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas on January 2, 2011:

Cookies remain $3.50 per box with proceeds benefiting local troops. This year there are eight varieties to choose from: Do-si-Dos, Dulce de Leche, Lemon Chalet Cremes, Samoas, Tagalongs, Thank You Berry Munch, Thin Mints and Trefoils. All cookies contain zero grams of trans fat.

Only 12 of Girl Scout Councils have discontinued certain cookies in an attempt to simplify sales and increase profits but locally, all eight varieties are still available this year.  According to our local council, there is no plan to discontinue any cookies next year either.

I have learned a lot about Girl Scout cookies this week.  The following gives an insight into the variety selection.  From their website girlscoutcookies.org:

Licensed bakers can offer up to eight varieties of Girl Scout Cookies; only three types are mandatory: Thin Mints, Peanut Butter Sandwich/Do-si-dos® and Shortbread/Trefoils. The national Girl Scout organization reviews and approves all varieties proposed by the bakers. Any of the five optional cookies can be changed every year. Each bakery names its own cookies, so Girl Scout Cookies that are quite similar may have different names. Suggestions for new cookies are welcome, but the national Girl Scout organization can make no promise to use them.

My advice is to STOCK UP if your favorite cookie is possibly on the chopping block (I.e., Dulce de Leche and Thank U Berry Munch). I've kept my Girl Scout cookies in the freezer for years to make them last. Sometimes they are a little chewy but hey, chewy is better than nothing in my book.

What is your favorite flavor? I'm a Samoas girl!

For ordering information on purchasing cookies contact the local Girl Scout office at 800-632-6894 or visit www.girlscoutsdiamonds.org.