Cookie Product Information

There are 5 basic cookies, available through both bakeries. The bakeries each get to do 3 additional cookie flavors. Sometimes people ask for one of the flavors our bakery (abc) does not produce, sometimes they ask for cookies that are no longer in production, and sometimes they ask for cookies by the name the other bakery uses. Please read on for 2011 Girl Scout Cookie Product Information. Girls can also visit the abcsmartcookie website to play fun GS cookie themed games, tour the bakery, and visit the "art gallery." The Family Guide to Girl Scout Cookies is available here. For calories, photos, and package count, go here. Each box contains it's own package count. All cases contain one dozen boxes.

The 5 Basics:
Thin Mints- a crispy, minty, chocolate coated cookie. The most popular of all Girl Scout Cookies, and one the most popular cookies of all time.
Caramel Delites- (also known as Samoas) a deliciously chewy blend of caramel, chocolate and coconut. The runner up for most popular Girl Scout cookie.
Shortbreads- (also known as Trefoils) the original Girl Scout cookie, with a light buttery flavor.
Peanut Butter Patties- (also known as Tag a Longs) a chocolate coated, peanut butter filled cookie.
Peanut Butter Sandwich- (also known as Do-Si-Dos) peanut butter, sandwiched between two oatmeal cookies.
The 3 abc bakery Cookies:
Thanks a Lots- buttery shortbread with a quick dip in rich fudgey goodness. The words "Thank You" are printed on the cookies in 5 different languages. 
Lemonades- buttery shortbread with  cool and refreshing lemon icing.
Shout Outs- they are labeled as a "Belgian style caramelized cookie." It tastes like a ginger snap but they don't want it called that because it doesn't contain ginger. One of our girls said it "tastes like Christmas." It would be a nice spiced cookie to dip in hot chocolate...

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All cookies are $3.50 per box. Checks can be made out to "Girl Scouts."

Donations and Operation Cookie: 
Donations are always accepted. Please carry an envelope to keep donations separate- though I know that isn't always possible. Our troop gets to keep the full amount of the donation. Occasionally people want to buy cookies but don't want them for themselves. Set those cookies aside. If they are not specific, we can give them to the Ronald McDonald House families, or to seniors at a retirement home. Or they can go to Operation Cookie. Every year GSCTX collects the Operation Cookie boxes at Council for an event where girls gather to write Thank You notes, draw pictures, and send letters and a little taste of home to a soldier overseas. This event fills up quickly. We will still send the boxes our customers donate, but Troop 1563 will also be doing it's own Operation Cookie activity. Naya's mom (Rosie) has a friend who has ordered 11 cases to send to her son's batallion. Our troop will do letters and drawings for this specific group.

Why are they so expensive? (People tend to ask.)
I say "Think of it like you're just donating a few bucks to charity, and you get free cookies in return!"
The actual reason- First, it's a fundraiser. Second, a large portion goes to pay for the cookies themselves- Girl Scouts is not in the cookie business. We do not own the bakeries. After the product has been paid for, the rest of the money is divided among the branches of GS that directly support our girls- Girl Scouts of Central Texas, the Mustang Valle Service Unit, and 35cents per box goes to our troop fund.
Council uses the money to fund events, run the camps, and provide financial assistance. The Service Unit's share covers events like the JGL Birthday Chili Cook Off, as well as small scholarships for college books. The troop money covers are meeting expenses, field trips, service projects, and whatever else the girls want to to do. That money belongs to the troop as a whole- not to individuals.

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