Local North Valley chefs support area Girl Scouts

Girl (Scout) Power

Local chefs support area troops in sweetest way possible

By Alison Bailin Batz

Did you know that the Girl Scout cookie program is the largest girl-led business in the world, and it’s focused far beyond simply ensuring you get your annual Thin Mint fix?

In fact, the goal of this Girl Scout rite of passage is actually to teach girls the critical entrepreneurial skills of goal setting, decision-making, money management, people skills, and business ethics.

“These skills are essential to leadership, to success and to life,” says Rebecca Golden, a female entrepreneur herself as the founder and owner of 32 Shea in North Phoenix. “I still remember all the way back to when I was a Girl Scout, practicing my sales pitch and having to overcome my fear of public speaking as I knocked on neighbors’ and friends’ doors with my cookie team. There really is no substitute for that experience.”

Though it has been a few decades since Golden donned her Girl Scout uniform, she and several other entrepreneurial restaurateurs and chefs across the North Valley are stepping up to support the local Girl Scouts in a very special way this year––with a cookie challenge.

Or, more specifically, a Girl Scout Cookie Dessert Challenge.

The 2016 Challenge

For the third year in a row, participating chefs from top restaurants in the Valley and Northern Arizona will go head-to-head to create a winning dessert using one of the Girl Scouts’ cookie flavors.

“Throughout the month of February, the desserts will be sold in participating restaurants with a portion of the proceeds from each dessert sold directly supporting Girl Scouting in our community,” says Susan de Queljoe of the Local Council. “In 2015, the Girl Scout Cookie Dessert Challenge inspired home cooks and families to get creative with Girl Scout cookies. In fact, Girl Scouts sold more than 3.25 million packages of cookies––the largest sale in Council history.”

The Council hopes the Girl Scout Cookie Dessert Challenge will help break that sales record in 2016.

 

The 2016 Cookies

Do-Si-Dos: Crunchy oatmeal sandwich cookies with creamy peanut butter filling.

Samoas: Crisp cookies coated in caramel, sprinkled with toasted coconut, and striped with dark chocolaty coating.

Tagalongs: Crispy cookies layered with peanut butter and covered with a chocolaty coating.

Thin Mints: Crisp wafers covered in chocolaty coating made with natural oil of peppermint.

Trefoils: Traditional shortbread cookies.

Savannah Smiles: Crispy, zesty lemon wedge cookie dusted with powdered sugar.

 

The 2016 North Valley Challengers

Restaurant: 32 Shea

Location: 10626 N. 32^nd St., Phoenix

Chef/Dessert Designer: Rebecca Golden

Assigned Cookie: Samoas

Dessert: Samoas Cookie Pecan Shortbread Coconut Caramel Trifle

 

Restaurant: 5^th and Wine

Location: 7051 E. 5^th Ave., Scottsdale

Chef/Dessert Designer: Enrique Sanchez

Assigned Cookie: Tagalongs

Dessert: Warm Tagalong Dulce de Leches Cake

 

Restaurant: BlueFire Grille at the Scottsdale Hilton Resort and Villas

Location: 6333 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale

Chef/Dessert Designer: Patrick Doyle

Assigned Cookie: Savannah Smiles

Dessert: Savanna Smiles Crumble Crust Prickly Pear Cheese Cake

Restaurant: Copper Leaf Gastrolounge

Location: 4225 N. Craftsman Court, Scottsdale

Chef/Dessert Designer: Todd Williams

Assigned Cookie: Thin Mints

Dessert: Thin Mint Pizza Cookie

 

Restaurant: Kelly’s at Southbridge

Location: 7117 E. 6^th Ave., Scottsdale

Chef/Dessert Designer: Kelli Casey

Assigned Cookie: Thin Mints

Dessert: Thin Mint Cheesecake

Restaurant: Olive + Ivy

Location: 7135 E. Camelback Rd., Scottsdale

Chef/Dessert Designer: Kelli Sappington

Assigned Cookie: Thin Mints

Dessert: Thin Mint Gelato

Restaurant: Paul Martin’s American Grill

Location: 6186 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale

Chef/Dessert Designer:

Assigned Cookie: Samoas

Dessert: Carmel Delight

Restaurant: Rhythm & Wine

Location: 7605 E. Pinnacle Peak Rd, Scottsdale

Chef/Dessert Designer: Terry Craig

Assigned Cookie: Savannah Smiles

Dessert: Savannah Chambord Raspberry Mousse

 

Restaurant: Rusconi’s American Kitchen

Location 10637 N. Tatum Blvd., Phoenix

Chef/Dessert Designer: Michael Rusconi

Assigned Cookie: Samoas

Dessert: Banana Cream Samoa Jar

 

Restaurant: The Henry

Location: 4455 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix

Chef/Dessert Designer: Marissa Pintor

Assigned Cookie: Tagalongs

Dessert: Tagalong Donuts

 

Restaurant: The Market By Jennifer’s Restaurant + Bar

Location: 3603 E. Indian School Rd., Arcadia

Chef/Dessert Designer: Jennifer Russo

Assigned Cookie: Trefoils

Dessert: “Twixted” Trefoil Bar

Restaurant: Tom’s Thumb

Location: 9393 E. Bell Rd., Scottsdale

Chef/Dessert Designer: Andrea Madrid

Assigned Cookie: Do-Si-Dos

Dessert: Do-Si-Decadent Cheesecake

 

For more information, visit girlscoutsaz.com.