Its that time of the year again---when cute little girls ply you with unhealthy, delicious cookies. But this year, the makers of Girl Scout cookies are cutting out the transfat, which is a solid move. Hopefully they still taste the same, which they should, as I didn't hear mention of removing the crack. Man, I love me some Thin Mints!
"The Girl Scouts have marked their 90th year in the cookie business by getting most of the artificial fat out of all varieties of their iconic treats, which had been under attack by a few health-focused consumer groups.
This year, about half of all Girl Scout troops are also offering a sugar-free cookie called the Little Brownie. A cookie with reduced saturated fat, the Cartwheel, was also introduced last year.
Tinkering with a popular recipe is something no cook does lightly, and Girl Scouts of the USA Vice President Denise J. Pessich said the changes were only made after the two commercial bakeries that make the cookies found trans-fat alternatives that didn't compromise flavor, texture or shelf life.
Pessich said she was confident fans would notice few differences. The recipe changes have also given troop leaders an opportunity to talk more about the importance of eating right, Pessich said.
"They know that, for one thing, you need to make informed choices. You need to read labels," she said.
The first "zero trans" Girl Scout cookies made their debut in the fall of 2005, including a reformulated version of the top-selling Thin Mint. The remaining varieties had most trans fats eliminated by last October.
"Like any snack food, you talk about moderation," Pessich said. "We know we aren't selling broccoli.""
Thats right. Crack.
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actually, thin mints and samoas still contain trans fat. As long as they contain less than .5g of trans fat per serving, it does not need to be listed on the Nutrition Facts. If you look in the ingredient list you will see "partially hydrogenated palm kernel". The partially hydrogenated refers to a trans fat. I just found this out... I am so sad. Time to learn how to make samoas myself.
My thin mints better not taste weird now. Or my samoas. Or my tagalongs. Or my....
Fortunately (or unfortunately) I live in an upscale neighborhood in a city where Girl Scouts don't come to our doors. Several years ago, they used to set up stands on street corners to sell their cookies but I haven't seen them lately. I guess some stupid (oh, I mean "concerned") person on the Board of Supervisors probably got a measure passed banning them from the streets.
I have had to live without my share of Girl Scout cookies. Boo Hoo.
I haven't missed Girl Scout cookies in the last few years, mainly because my wife makes better cookies (sacrilegious, I know).
Especially this toffee cookie she makes. Damn, now I'm craving them, I have to go beg her to make some. :P
"Cartwheel"
My sister used to buy a supposedly low-calorie round ice cream sandwich called "Cartwheels". We called them "fartwheels", for reasons one can infer.
Last year I got a box of Samoas from the twin cities, *and*
a box of Caramel DeLites from my niece in WI. The DeLites
were transfat free, and the Samoas made no such claim.
The Samoas were to die for, and the DeLites were... meh.
Be warned.