Adventurefuls feature a brownie-cookie base, caramel creme and sea salt. 2. So what are we to make of all this? When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. One tester says this Thin Mint knockoff, "tastes just like a Thin Mint, but more cookie." It's true that cookie interior is more prevalent in this version, but the flavor is spot on. Not everything has changed about modern sales methods, though. Weve been passing them out everywhere, and Ive given some to staff members, teachers, and classmates.. I dont know them.. Those in the know have been aware all along that Girl Scout cookies are made by two different bakeries. WASHINGTON If your Thin Mints, Samoas, and Tagalongs taste different than you remembered, theres a good reason: Girl Scouts cookies ARE different, depending on where you buy them. Then again, maybe not, because my prize for selling 3,500 boxes would have been bragging rights, not a 3D printer. Despite having the same name, the two Smores flavors of Girl Scout cookies are entirely different in terms of taste and appearance. Categories Heavy Handed Advice, These Things Are Better Than Your Things, Banana Succulents Exist And They Look Exactly Like The Fruit, Chlorophyll Water Is The New Hot Drink Trend and I Want To Try It. Shortbread cookies are slightly sweeter, while Trefoils taste more buttery, but in all honesty, you probably wont really notice the difference. We may earn a commission from links on this page. According to TikTok user crazyunclechris_, Dollar General sells girl scout cookies all year long for $1.50. How and whyand why oh whyare they different? This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. I love going door to door! says Lena, the Cadette from Pennsylvania. Update, January 11, 2022: While unofficial reports have been swirling for weeks, today marks the Girl Scouts-sanctioned kickoff of the 2022 cookie season.According to a press release sent to The Takeout, the Girl Scouts of the USA are committing to a "hybrid" sales model this year, one that "incorporates innovative methods of online ordering and the return of in-person selling." One tester says this Thin Mint knockoff, "tastes just like a Thin Mint, but more cookie." No one can resist the magical flavor pairing that is peanut butter and chocolate. If you've got a hankering for some Samoas or Thin Mints that just can't wait, then look no further than your local Dollar General. WTOP.com | Alexa | Google Home | WTOP App | 103.5 FM, Revelers across the US brave heat and rain to celebrate Fourth of July, Joey Chestnut shakes off rain delay and defends title at Nathans Fourth of July hot dog contest, DC officials respond after July 4 violence; 9 shot in Northeast during holiday gathering. 10 Discontinued Girl Scout Cookies You Can't Order Today Facebook was the biggest social media we used at first, says Theresa Chapman, mother of Lena, a Cadette, in eastern Pennsylvania. What they found is that, for supposedly identical brands, the cookies varied rather significantly. These are crispy without being too dry, and they have a very buttery flavor. Here is a side-by-side comparison of the bakeries different types of Girl Scout Cookies, how the flavors differ, and a list of which states get which varieties. But our office was pleasantly surprised by the knockoffs from Dollar General's private-label brand, Clover Valley. It freezes like a Thin Mint, cold and crisp, whereas the sandwich cookie's frosting hardens while the cookie doesn't, making for an odd eating experience. Little Brownie Bakers Smores look more like a traditional, sandwich-style smore, placing a frosting and fudge layer between two mini graham crackers. Thin Mints are Thin Mints, even though each baker makes a different version. Samoas and Caramel deLites are supposedly identical, but Central Track found Little Brownie's Samoas have dark chocolate stripes, whereas ABC's Caramel deLites are adorned with milk chocolate. Even though using the internet is now the norm during cookie season, many scouts complement digital sales with in-person ones, approaching conversations with adults head-on so as to learn additional skills. So while we have Samoas around here, others have Caramel deLites. In 2017, the Los Angeles Times published a great interactive map of the cookie differences by region. These fakes are dry and nasty! Once again, the Shortbread is used to create another cookie. Troops that useABC Bakers (in Richmond, Virginia) sell Caramel deLites, Peanut Butter Patties, Peanut Butter Sandwiches, Shortbreads and Lemonades. These knockoffs are gross! Each Lemonade contains more than twice the calories, fat, and sugar than a Savannah Smile. So, I am going to try to pretend, I dont know this tid-bit of information. Chances are you have hard opinions on your favorite. Copyright 2023 by WTOP. Dr. Pepper Strawberries & Cream Is Tearing Us Apart, MTN DEW Baja Blast Hot Sauce Is a Gorgeous Oddity, If You're Not Cooking With Giardiniera Oil, You're Missing Out. I've already placed my order, but sadly that means waiting until mid-February for those delicious beauties to arrive. While both bakeries produce the cookies, the Thin Mints from ABCBakers are crunchier and have a stronger mint flavor, and the ones from Little Brownie have a smoother chocolate coating. English. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. The Girl Scout website says regardless of the cookie's name, "it's the delicious cookie you've grown to love.". Sometimes it is hard in the snow when we have storms, but seeing my customers each year and hearing how they have been waiting for me makes me feel good.. Clover Valley Coconut Fudge and Caramel Cookies, 3. They are all under the brand name Clover Valley so hurry over and grab them before everyone finds out and they are gone. The packaging. No more public cookie booths, for which scouts and their troop leaders set out tables in front of busy local hotspots to entice passersby. I trudged up the hill in my hometown, red wagon in tow, waiting with dread during each moment of silence between ringing the doorbell and seeing the front door swing open. Are you Team Tagalongs or are you in the Peanut Butter Patties posse? The Girl Scouts most popular flavor of cookie is made by both bakeries, but there are subtle differences between the two. Neal Augenstein | naugenstein@wtop.com. However, some cookies have different names depending on where they're produced. Tagalongs, obviously, have a way better name. Ha. Find out how to buy Girl Scout Cookies, explore Girl Scout Cookie flavors, try delicious recipes, see how girls learn essential life skills, and more. The truth about why Girl Scout cookies taste different - WTOP So, where can you get these delicious girl scout cookies? Selling online has not only made interactions easier for shy scouts, but cookie sales move faster, too. Oh, and this isn't a new thing, apparently Dollar General shoppers have known about this life hack that nobody else knew about. Indeed, those QR codes are the only way for certain customers to get connected with Girl Scout cookies, especially people in remote areas who might not know any scouts personally. (Mariah Tauger . Until April, Girl Scouts will peddle around 200 million boxes . Some Utah troops left flyers on peoples cars, New Jersey troops partnered with Grubhub to tack cookies onto normal orders, and San Diego troops placed door hangers on neighbors homes to let them know cookie season had officially commenced. Girl Scout Cookie Sales Don't Look Like They Used To - The Takeout But don't fret when cookie season ends, because thanks to the folks at Dollar General, it doesn't have to. With new methods of selling, including QR codes, social media hashtags, and more, Girl Scouts have expanded their reach, but have also expanded the notion of what cookie sales look like. Our Thin Mints are less minty, and haved a smoother layer of chocolate. Well, it turns out everyone is right because theyre actually two different cookies. Los Angeles Times. You can browse the full list of Girl Scout Cookies available in 2022 at their website, where you can also find information about the bakers as well as nutrition information. Theresa and Lena in particular found massive success on TikTok; filming videos together with specialized Girl Scoutsrelated hashtags, they managed to break into a previously untapped market after an influencer helped promote their cookie business. So when the Girl Scouts come knocking, be sure to stock up. And so were sorry to report that theres even more news coming down the pipeline: Samoas, which are made by Little Brown Bakery, have more calories per serving than the Caramel deLites, and a stronger coconut taste. Mabel, the face behind the cookie, is a Chicago Girl Scout who is, like so many other scouts nationwide, embracing a new way of selling cookies in the modern age. I dont have any connection to them. As for taste, one bite makes it easy to see that ABC puts more mint flavoring in its Thin Mints than Little Brownie does. Id rather stick up on real Girl Scout cookies and dont mind paying more knowing my purchases are empowering young girls and not going in greedy millionairess pockets. Apparently You Can Get Girl Scout Cookies Year-Round and You're Welcome How to Order Girl Scout Cookies Online | Taste of Home Trefoils versus Shortbread:The cookies look very different Trefoils have a bunch of little holes that Shortbread cookies dont. 5425 Wisconsin Ave When you pay for shipping and handling, you're helping empower girls to do more with their cookie earnings. Girl Scout Cookies are cookies sold by Girl Scouts in the United States to raise funds to support Girl Scout councils and individual troops. Back in the olden days of 2005, Samoas were sold by knocking on neighbors doors. So what does that mean for you? Neal Augenstein has been a reporter at WTOP since 1997. Evidently, Girl Scout cookies come from two different bakeries in the U.S. Each bakery has its own proprietary recipe for each of the famous cookies. The only difference? Joining the classics this year is a sweet standout endearingly named after the Girl Scouts' adventurous taste. A guide to Social Media ethics was published by the Girl Scouts of the USA in 2021, indicating that scouts are permitted to use online social platforms, with the permission of their parents and under guided supervision, in an attempt to expand their customer base. Stick them in the freezer for a refreshing treat anytime. Yet, as close as Skyline Drive, cookies come from ABC Bakers. We were so thankful.. Buy It: Clover Valley Coconut Fudge and Caramel Cookies, $2; Dollar General. Enter the Tagalong. So what about Thin Mints? These two Girl Scout Cookie Flavors have almost no differences, as they both taste and look practically identical. a great interactive map of the cookie differences by region. These fees go directly to the vendors who help us make sure your delicious cookies get to you and that the cookie money gets to her troop. Different bakers than Girl Scout cookies. At Dollar General! Francine Orr/Getty Images. It's true, many have tried to mimic the magic of Girl Scout cookies to no avail. Trefoils are a true classic. Still, some Girl Scouts today are braver than I ever was as a preteen. Basically, youve spent your whole life in the Samoas squad, not even realizing that millions of other Girl Scout cookie enthusiasts were chowing down on Caramel deLites. Had that option been available at the time, my anxiety would have been greatly reduced. Thats because Girl Scout cookies are actually made by two different bakeries, ABC Bakers and Little Brownie Bakers (LBB), which have their own cookie recipes, cookie flavor names, and even cookie box design. The app allows scouts to set cookie goals, track progress, manage orders, and maintain inventory in order to sell safely and effectively online. Its a magical, delicious time of year, one where you can stuff Samoas and Tagalongs and all types of Girl Scout Cookie flavors into your maw for the good of a great organization. (Certain troops allow online customers to choose between shipping via standard carriers or hand-delivery from an actual scout.). Little Brownie Bakers Do-si-dos are all about the peanut butter flavor. (There are two different bakers, ABC Bakers and Little Brownie Bakers; who makes your cookies depends on where you live!) Some cookie aficiaonados beg to differ. The Clover Valley brand is a Dollar General label, and if you haven't shopped at Dollar General lately, you're missing out on some pretty obvious Girl Scout Cookie copycats. Here Are All the Girl Scout Cookies You Can Buy This Season Follow @WTOP on Twitter and WTOP on Facebook. We order Do-si-dos, while others choose Peanut Butter Sandwich. Not subscribed to Fatherlys newsletter yet? Through the years, Neal has covered many of the crimes and trials that have gripped the region. Here's a dirty little secret the Girl Scouts don't want you to know: Not all Girl Scout cookies taste the same. Thin Mints:The Thin Mints in our area, baked by Little Brownie Bakers, are less dense and are crunchier than ones baked by ABC. Oh, and this isnt a new thing, apparently Dollar General shoppers have known about this life hack that nobody else knew about. I guess this is where I say, youre welcome. Feb. 9, 2023 3:19 p.m. PT. And to add insult to injury, there are two different kinds of Thin Mints as well. For those varieties, the Girl Scouts say, regardless of the name, "it's still the delicious cookie you've grown to love.". The 2022 Girl Scout Cookie season kicked off in January, and you know what that meansSamoas, Tagalongs and Thin Mints delivered straight to your door! And they do get a lot of nos, which bums them out.. I mean that the exact same cookie can look and taste differently in different parts of the country. This time, it has a light fudge flavor at the bottom. But from there, the story blurs a bit. Read on for our thoughts on Dollar General's Girl Scout cookie knockoffs. Were not mad, just disappointed. No more ringing doorbells, since extraneous contact (even while masked) was roundly discouraged. They taste very similar to the cookies that were, at one time, in the metal tins that adorn every surface of your grandmother's house. Whether youre a proud member of Team Tagalong or the Samoa Squad, theres something you should know: the types of Girl Scout Cookies you enjoy, and their names, are not the same from state to state. During the height of the pandemic we were really limited on how to sell cookies, says Tess Vermeys, grandmother of Senior Girl Scout Sophia and Junior Girl Scout Audrey in Spirit Lake, Iowa. We are limited on how we can sell online to protect the scouts.. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. Find Cookies | Girl Scouts You can get some Girl Scout Cookies anytime here. 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They have the thin mints, peanut butter cookies covered in chocolate, the lemon cookies, the samoas and more. Dollar General Girl Scout Cookies - Allrecipes I couldnt imagine a different way of doing things, much less the ease of selling cookies alongside my mom in front of a computer screen, collecting digital payments through a platform that kept everything neatly recorded and organized. It's true that cookie interior is more prevalent in this version, but the flavor is spot on. (None of which I could have imagined as a fifth-grader who solely used the internet to play the Powerpuff Girls snowboarding game.). Taking your dog for a walk? 7 min read. and the news just keeps getting more exciting. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. And I'm not talking about how Samoas taste delicious, whereas Do-Si-Dos taste like someone rubbed your tongue with peanut butter sandpaper. Clover Valley Fudge Covered Peanut Butter Cookies, We Blind Tasted Tagalong Knockoffs to Find the Best Fudge-Peanut Butter Cookie Out There, We Tried Dozens of Dollar General Brand Products Here's What We'd Buy Again, 10 Copycat Girl Scout Cookie Recipes That Are Melt-In-Your-Mouth Good, You Might Have a Hard Time Finding Your Favorite Girl Scout Cookie, You Can Finally Try the New Girl Scout Cookie Flavor, Have a Box of Raspberry Rally Cookies? The only real distinction is that the Tagalongs have more layers of peanut butter inside their chocolate coating, while Peanut Butter Patties have a vanilla layer to complement the peanut butter filling. They lined up both versions of five cookies, and detailed the differences. Caramel deLites from ABC bakery, meanwhile, look almost exactly the same, but are sweeter and less coconutty. And the wider distribution afforded by the internet provides the opportunity for new kinds of philanthropy, too. My daughter sells girl scout cookies, my sister used too amd I used too. Though close in appearance and taste, they all had distinct differences, with taste testers even having "a definite preference.". The best part? Selling online has not only made interactions easier for shy scouts, but cookie sales move faster, too. They do not look the same and they dont tatse the same get your facts straight first before you write an article. Heres to 100 more years of Girl Scout cookies, whatever the recipe. The winning scouts made headlines, independent artists made badges, and the fifty states challenge became the marker of a true cookie entrepreneur. Meghan Trainor and husband Daryl Sabara welcome second child, Two friends adopted a 19-year-old dog to fill her final days with love, This 28-year old turned a dumpster into the ultimate tiny home. Well, we dont have to do that any more. It's not to say that one bakery is good and one is bad; it's just a reminder that the next time you're in the market for Girl Scout cookies, you may want to check the label and shop around. This version from Clover Valley has a nice ratio of chocolate to peanut butter. Some tasters found the chocolate to taste a bit artificial. When the Digital Cookie platform was introduced in 2014, a reported 64% of Girl Scouts managed to sell more cookies than they ever had before, leading to an additional 2.5 million boxes sold that year. What we know as Tagalongs are called Peanut Butter Patties elsewhere. They're $1.85 a box. Speaking as a former Girl Scout myself (thank you very much), the money raised from cookie sales can make a huge difference for girls in your community. When the Digital Cookie platform was introduced in 2014, a reported 64% of Girl Scouts managed to sell more cookies than they ever had before, leading to an additional 2.5 million bo xes sold that year. Many of the cookies have different names, depending on where theyre baked. ABC Bakers does not have any version of this cookie. Gone are the days of anxiously dialing up a parents distant friend to sell more Tagalongs: With the online platform, scouts can build their own website, manage their marketing, and even create a unique QR code for distribution. The app allows scouts to set cookie . Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Frozen ranking: 5. https://www.instagram.com/p/BRjoMlQjozM/?tagged=samoas. The scouts were tasked with finding new channels for cookie sales, and the most popular one was, of course, Facebook. I already know what you're thinking there's no way Dollar General can come close to the real thing. As the name suggests, these are mini cookies with crunchy toffee bites baked in. So, you know how every Spring we all look forward to buying cases of girl scout cookies so we are stocked for the rest of the year? Our Trefoils are called Shortbread in other parts of the country. I want to continue doing both side by side in the future to have that true Girl Scout experience, she said. Do-si-dos versus Peanut Butter Sandwich:The peanut butter tastes different in each cookie, and is more squished in the Do-si-dos. Its their version of bringing the cookies to each individual, Selena, mother of Kassidy, said about the QR codes. Many parents expressed hope that in the future, Girl Scout cookie season continues to combine the positive aspects of both online and offline sales, letting scouts set up cookie booths while maintaining outreach behind the screen. Well, it turns out . According to TikTok user crazyunclechris_, Dollar General sells girl scout cookies all year long for $1.50. Neal's been pleased to receive awards over the years for hard news, feature reporting, use of sound and sports. Little Brownie Bakers' S'mores look more like a traditional, sandwich-style s . Breakfast Is The Most Important Meal Of The Day, Dinner (And Also Second Dinner If Youre a Hobbitses), Big Ridiculous Bows Texas Girls Wear In Their Hair. We know this is a lot to digest (heh). Despite the visible difference, the Central Track study found these two cookies tasted almost identical. Not even close to being the same. On the tree outside my apartment is a QR code prominently displaying a laminated photo of Thin Mints. But I could still take down the whole box. Chevy Chase, MD 20815. These are fakes and you will know the difference because they are not full of Girl Scout experiences . Maintaining an inventory of Trefoils, Thin Mints, and Samoas stacked in our laundry room was standard cookie season practice throughout my childhood, and although QR codes and TikTok have added complexity to the operation, keeping some inventory on hand remains standard practice for any scout wishing to sell or deliver in person. Compare that to you average box of Girl Scout Cookies ($4?!) And, according to the study, Samoas have more caramel. We can pause right here so you can go look at your Girl Scout cookie stash to see where yours are from. WASHINGTON If your Thin Mints, Samoas, and Tagalongs taste different than you remembered, theres a good reason: Girl Scouts. Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you. Why do some cookies look the same but have different names? Learn it. Girl Scout Cookies Taste Different Depending on Where You Buy Them Apparently, you can get girl scout cookies year-round AND even better, they cost less than purchasing them from girl scouts. Emails to purchase cookies came in so fast and my TikTok would freeze at all the people tagging us, said Theresa. The official Girl Scout cookie power rankings - Los Angeles Times My mom came up with this idea to make business cards with the QR code on the back, says Kassidy. There is a vicious and long-standing fight between people who think the caramel, coconut and chocolate Girl Scout cookie should be called either a Samoa or a Caramel deLite. Girl Scout Cookies - Wikipedia The code links to a website selling Girl Scout cookies, rerouted from the vanity URL mabelformayor.com. The Central Track blog says the . The Girls Scouts of America doesn't try to hide this fact too much: It's listed under each individual cookie on their website. Melanie Fincher is a Birmingham, Alabamabased food writer who covers everything from cooking techniques to gadget reviews. This web-based sales method quickly became the norm. Also, Little Brownie's Thin Mints are much smoother on the outside than those offered by ABC.". Bonus: They are gluten-free. Its not just Samoas, either almost every flavor of Girl Scout Cookie has a bizarro doppelganger from the other bakery, and which cookies you are familiar with appears to be based entirely on where you live, as the local Girl Scouts get to decide which bakers cookies they will be selling. Little Brownie Bakers does not make any version of this cookie. This article was originally published on March 2, 2018, Harrison Ford Thanks Another Famous '80s Cool Dad For Boosting His Career, Watch Someone Solve A Rubiks Cube In 3 Seconds & Demolish The World Record. Find Cookies | Girl Scouts Please enjoy your inferior Caramel deLites (just kidding!). Its Samoas, not Samoas. It was like this for all five cookies they tested. ABC Bakers make their cookies crunchier and place more of an emphasis on the mint taste than the chocolate, while Little Brownie Bakers include a rich, smooth chocolate coating on their cookies. These kinds of Girl Scout Cookies are almost exactly the same. Girl Scout Cookie season has blessedly hit full speed. Samoas and Caramel deLites are supposedly identical, but Central Track found Little Brownie's Samoas have dark chocolate stripes, whereas ABC's Caramel deLites are adorned with milk chocolate . We dont like door to door because there is that nervous factor, says Vermeys. In some places, they admit that "recipes and ingredients may differ slightly" between cookies made by the two licensed bakerieswhich, for the record, are ABC Bakers (based in Richmond, Virginia) and Little Brownie Bakers (located in Louisville, Kentucky, and owned by parent company Kellogg's). Many parents and guardians, too, consider online sales a great alternative that adds in convenience and safety while insulating the scouts from the rejection that us former scouts of the mid-2000s remember so well. The Girl Scouts most popular flavor of cookie. Clover Valley Fudge Mint Cookies. Samoas versus Caramel deLites:Samoas use dark chocolate for their stripes, while Caramel deLites use milk chocolate. The Central Track blog says the cookies look and taste very different, in some cases. There are 12 cookies in total, and all of our . Meet the Cookies | Girl Scouts Savannah Smiles are crisp, lemon-flavored cookies coated in powdered sugar, while Lemonades are Shortbread cookies with a lemon-flavored filling. Get off your phone and do this instead. Samoas had more caramel as well. Notably, the initial guidelines say that only family and friends should be connected with cookies in this manner. Many fans of Girl Scout cookies already know they are made by two different bakeries ABC Bakers in Richmond, and Little Brownie Bakers in Louisville, Kentucky. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. As the pandemic moved things indoors in 2020, cookie sales had to shift, too. Theres value in interacting with customers in real time, making a sale by approaching someone to buy cookies at $5 a box, just like there is undeniable value in making a sale through a strategic TikTok dance. These are NOT gs cookies. Get your Girl Scout cookie fix any time of year and for less than half the price of the real thing. I dont get nervous selling online, but if I had to walk up to somebody or ring the doorbell Id probably get a little nervous, says Kassidy, a Junior Girl Scout in Harlem. 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