Sugar Cookie Girl Scouts

Girl Scout Cookies Sales are 100 years old this year!

A Girl Scout Troop in Oklahoma sold the first home-baked goods in 1917 as a fundraiser and service project.  The idea was so popular (who doesn't love yummy cookies?!) that many other troops started firing up their ovens and selling cookies too.   In 1925, an official recipe for sugar cookies was distributed for the home baking gals to follow and sell to their avid followers.  By the mid 1930s, supply couldn't keep up with the demand and commercial bakers were called in to relive the weary Girl Scouts and their rolling pins.  'Girl Scout Cookie Time" caught on fast and became a highly anticipated annual event nation wide.  Uproar and panic in the streets raged when cookie baking supplies weren't available in 1944 due to ration shortages. Well, maybe not an uproar or panic in the streets but definitely dismay in the dining room.  That year Calendars were sold instead but they just don't dip well in milk.

I happened to come across that 1925 Sugar Cookie Recipe and had to give it a try. These cookies caused high demand!  What is their secret?   I approached this recipe like no other, I didn't change anything... I tried not to anyway.

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A Girl Scout cookie box bottom from 1951 with a campfire scene and tools of the Girl Scout Trade for cutting out and play.  I thought these were a fun addition to put with the cookies!  Lots of sharp stuff!  A very interesting compilation of images...Oh my word!  It's the ingredient list!

Girl Scout Cookies are made from Girl Scouts!

The scouts that lag behind or don't make their cookie selling quota get chopped up (so that's the reason for all the sharp tools!) and tossed in the batter!

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No wonder these gals are soaking their tired cookie toting feet.  They could be short just one box of Tag-A-Longs from their demise. This explains all of the heavy selling propaganda!

So back to the cookie recipe (found here).  I know that the research says that commercial bakers took over because of the high demand but I am betting it has to do with the girls not wanting to make these sugar cookies.  They are a pain to make.  'Refrigerate a hour'.... my cookie contributed wide ass. I had to freeze the dough for hours and then only take out a small quantity at a time because it would turn to a gooey mush after minimal human contact.  I also had to add copious amount of flour to keep the squashy, flimsy muck under control.  They taste decent but not worth the heavily involved effort.

Moral of the story...