"girl scout cookies" news and stories

Don't take away our Girl Scout Thin Mints! You could practically hear the cry from anguished Girl Scout-cookie lovers from Philly to Pasadena when the Wall Street Journal reported that the Girl Scouts are getting down to business in this recession and may cut back on flavors to make the annual sale more profitable.

The new pilot Super Six program, reports the Journal, keeps Thin Mints (yay!), Do-Si-Dos, Trefoils shortbread cookies, Samoas and Tagalongs, Lemon Chalet Cremes. But U-Berry-Munch, All Abouts (shortbread + fudge) and sugar-free chocolate chip cookies? They may go the way of the AMC Gremlin. In other words, good-bye, and will we remember you were ever here?

"We're all seeking a little more simplicity," Amanda Hamaker, the manager of national product sales for the Girl Scouts, told the Wall Street Journal. "Our top five varieties make up 77 percent of cookie sales," Hamaker said. "The others are yummy and fun, but they're side dressing -- leaving councils with an awful lot of alternate varieties left over."

• Starbucks Will Now Take Over Asia [Gawker]
• Kahlua Gets Fancified [Chow]
• A Visual Guide to Girl Scout Cookie Sales [Slate]
• The Reuben: A Great Sandwich, A Better Dip? [HuffPost Food]
• The Myth of Green Beef [The Atlantic]
• KFC's Double Down Is Just Fast Food Chicken Cordon Bleu [Serious Eats]
• Weak Regulation Means Tainted Beef on U.S. Plates [ABC]

Some Girl Scout Lemon Chalet Creme cookies have been recalled by the baker for having a weird taste, Consumerist reported.

The cookies in question, made by Little Brownie Bakers, "contain oils that may be breaking down which can result in an off taste and smell," the baker said in a statement.

"We have fifteen affected lot codes distributed to 31 of the 81 Girl Scout councils in a variety of states," Little Brownie Bakers spokeswoman Susanne Norwitz told Slashfood. Those with cookies that have an off taste or smell should call 1-800-962-1718 or contact the bakery through their Web site.

It's that time of year again, when our friends, family and neighbors ask us (on behalf of their daughters) the age-old question, "Would you like to buy Girl Scout cookies?" New for 2010, Thank U Berry Munch is the most recent flavor to be added onto the Girl Scout Cookie roster. Stuffed with real cranberries and white-fudge chips, they were crunchy and extremely sweet. One person said they tasted just like Special K strawberry cereal bars, others said they were similar to a Pecan Sandie with cranberries (while it has a prominent crunch, there are, uh, no pecans in it).

But is this cookie for everyone? Honestly, it's hard to compete with classics like Samoas (a.k.a. Caramel deLites), Tagalongs (Peanut Butter Patties), or Thin Mints. In Thank U Berry's defense, we do like that they've incorporated the fudge chips into the cookie rather than adding a coating over the top. And real pieces of cranberry are evident throughout (trust us, they stuck to our teeth) -- we suspect that kids will love the berry flavor.

They could, however, be just a tad less sweet, and we'd also like to see less processed ingredients in the nutritional information. That way we wouldn't feel so bad when we're finishing off the box!

To order cookies, find a local council near you.

Shrimp Tacos with Avocado-Corn Salsa. Photo: YumSugar

Each Thursday, we round up a selection of scrumptious links from our friends over at YumSugar. Here's what they've got cooking this week:

Raw corn off the cob can perk up a shrimp cocktail when you make a salsa and throw it in a taco.

Has Wal-Mart ripped off those delicious cookies the Girl Scouts have been selling for years?

Bottarga makes for a fine "poor man's" caviar.

Grilled bruschetta chicken is a fast and easy dish perfect for evenings when time is of the essence.

Rum punch is prime for a technicolor luau.

Julie Powell, of "Julie & Julia" fame, dishes about the movie.

A test of your M&M's know-how to separate myth from fact.

Leftover chicken thighs are prime candidates for Peking-style chicken wraps.