Girl Scouts of the USA Announces Winners of 2016 National Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Contest, Sponsored by Taste of Home
Toffee and Chocolate Bark with Toasted Almonds recipe secures contest's grand prize win by popular vote
NEW YORK, May 9, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, Girl Scouts of the USA announced Vermont resident Nancy Mock as the grand prize winner of the 2016 National Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Contest, sponsored by Taste of Home, the world's leading food magazine. Nancy's recipe for Toffee and Chocolate Bark with Toasted Almonds, using Shortbread/Trefoil Girl Scout Cookies as an ingredient not only took the candy category, but received the most consumer votes of all the 16 finalist recipes.
The contest, which kicked off in February during National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend, invited home cooks of all levels 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. Culinary experts at the Taste of Home Test Kitchen, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, reviewed and tested each recipe, and selected 16 finalists—four from each category—based on taste, visual appeal, creativity, and crowd appeal. Then, the public voted for their favorite finalists online.
"The Girl Scout Cookie Program is about so much more than selling cookies. Through selling cookies, girls learn valuable skills like goal setting and everyday leadership," said Anna Maria Chávez, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA. "We're so thrilled for Nancy, who saw those skills firsthand as the mother of a Girl Scout. On behalf of cookie fans everywhere, I'd like to thank her for giving us all a creative and fun new way to enjoy Girl Scout Cookies."
As the grand prize winner, Nancy will receive a $500 cash prize and a spotlight feature in Taste of Home magazine. Nancy is a paraeducator and autism interventionist, working with children on the autism spectrum as well as one-to-one with others who need special assistance. The proud parent of a Girl Scout alumna, she credits the Girl Scout Cookie Program for helping her daughter develop strong friendships, confidence, and leadership skills.
"My family and I are thrilled that my recipe was chosen as the winner!" said Nancy. "I have been a fan of Girl Scout Cookies my whole life and my daughter was a Girl Scout. To have my recipe win the vote and be recognized is tremendously rewarding."
The other three winners are: Patricia Rose from California (Tangerine Chiffon Pie) in the cakes, pies, cupcakes category; Janet Gill from Ohio (Peanut Caramel Thumbprint No Bake Cookies) in the cookies, brownies, bars category; and Kelsey Byrnes from Iowa (Raspberry Lemonades Bread Pudding) in the pudding, ice-cream, gelatin desserts category.
"The enthusiasm shown by both Taste of Home and Girl Scout Cookie fans across the country is what makes this contest special," said Catherine Cassidy, Taste of Home chief content officer. "The Taste of Home team loved working with Girl Scouts again this year, and we were thrilled to have Girl Scouts in our test kitchen to get a behind-the-scenes peek at the delicious competition. As a Girl Scout alumna, I enjoyed reliving memories from my own cookie-selling days."
The full recipes from all 16 finalists —including delectable treats like Dulce deLites and Peanut Butter Cookie Crunch Clusters—are available at girlscouts.org/recipecontest. If you are interested in learning more about the Girl Scout Cookie Program, please visit www.girlscoutcookies.org.
We're Girl Scouts of the USA
We're 2.7 million strong—1.9 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, a Trusted Media Brands, Inc. (TMBI) Company, 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. Content is available online and via the Taste Digital Community, with more than 39 million monthly visitors,* making these sites top destinations for kitchen-tested recipes, how-to techniques, cooking videos, and lively community forums. The same engaging content can be found in Taste of Home magazine, with a circulation of 2.5 million; Simple & Delicious magazine; top-selling bookazines; newsstand specials; popular cookbooks and via digital download on iPad, mobile apps, and Kindle.
Taste of Home also produces the Taste of Home Cooking School, one of America's leading cooking school programs, inspiring more than 140,000 passionate home chefs each year and hosting more than 200 events across the country. The Taste of Home Online Cooking School is a convenient at-home experience that delivers the same blend of energy and expertise that those who attend the live cooking school shows enjoy.
Learn more and join over 24 million** fans for the latest on recipes and food on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and Google+.
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SOURCE Girl Scouts of the USA
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