Girl Scouts of the USA Announces First National Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Contest, Sponsored by Taste of Home

NEW YORK, Feb. 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Girl Scouts of the USA announced the first National Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Contest, Sponsored by Taste of Home, the world's leading food magazine.  Through March 2, Girl Scout Cookie enthusiasts can create and submit their favorite dessert recipes using the iconic cookies as ingredients, for the chance to win prizes ranging from $250 to $500, plus a spotlight feature in Taste of Home.

Chefs of all levels, from home cooks to established professionals, are encouraged to submit Girl Scout Cookie-inspired entries in one of four categories: (1) cakes, pies, cupcakes, (2) cookies, brownies, bars, (3) pudding, ice-cream, gelatin desserts, and (4) candies. The experts in the Taste of Home Test Kitchen will review and test the recipes, selecting the top 16—four from each category—based on taste, visual appeal, creativity, and crowd appeal.

From March 30 to April 14, the public will have a chance to vote for their favorite finalist recipes at www.girlscouts.org/recipecontest. The recipes with the most votes in each category win and winners will be announced in mid-April.

"Each year, we see so many excited cookie fans share their own recipes using Girl Scout Cookies via social media and more, so we figured it was high time to do something with all this positive energy," said Anna Maria Chavez, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA. "The creative possibilities are endless, just like the number of ways girls use their cookie money to give back to their local communities."

Taste of Home Editor-in-Chief Catherine Cassidy is equally enthusiastic about the contest and the opportunity to collaborate with Girl Scouts. "Fostering a sense of care and community in homes across America has always been part of the fabric of Taste of Home," she said. "As a Girl Scout alumna, I'm thrilled to lend a helping hand in and outside of the kitchen. We are pleased to work with an organization that encourages young women to put their skills and creativity to positive use."

Participating in the National Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Contest, Sponsored by Taste of Home, could be a fun activity to do during this year's National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend (February 27 -- March 1, 2015). The weekend will celebrate the positive impact girls make on their communities through the Girl Scout Cookie Program. As the world's largest girl-led business, the nearly $800-million Girl Scout Cookie Program aims to teach girls five essential life skills: goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics. To learn more about the Girl Scout Cookie Program and find Girl Scouts selling cookies near you, visit www.girlscoutcookies.org. To submit your favorite Girl Scout Cookie-inspired dessert recipe and view full contest guidelines, please visit girlscouts.org/recipecontest.

We're Girl Scouts of the USA

We're 2.8 million strong—2 million girls and 800,000 adults who believe girls can change the world. It began over 100 years ago with one woman, Girl Scouts' founder Juliette Gordon "Daisy" Low, who believed in the power of every girl. She organized the first Girl Scout troop on March 12, 1912, in Savannah, Georgia, and every year since, we've made her vision a reality, helping girls discover their strengths, passions, and talents. Today, we continue the Girl Scout mission of building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. We're the preeminent leadership development organization for girls. And with programs for girls from coast to coast and across the globe, Girl Scouts offers every girl a chance to do something amazing. To volunteer, reconnect, donate, or join, visit www.girlscouts.org.

About Taste of Home

Taste of Home is the leading multi-platform producer of information on food, cooking, and entertaining, serving home cooks engaging media that capture the joy and comfort received from food made with love. Taste of Home magazine has a circulation of 2.5 million and publishes Simple & Delicious magazine six times a year; top-selling bookazines; newsstand specials; and popular cookbooks. TasteofHome.com is a top destination for engaging audiences with kitchen-tested recipes, how-to techniques, cooking videos, and lively community forums. The Taste of Home Cooking School is America's leading cooking school program, inspiring more than 250,000 passionate home chefs each year and hosting approximately 250 events across the country. Learn more at TasteofHome.com. Like us on Facebook to join more than 2 million followers for the latest on recipes and food, and follow us on Twitter and Pinterest.

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SOURCE Girl Scouts of the USA

Related Links

http://www.girlscouts.org