TASTE • DINE
North Valley eateries serve sweet treats for dessert challenge
The coconut-lime shortbread tart by Lovecraft
Aioli Gourmet Burgers Cookie: Do-Si-Dos Dessert: PB&J Napoleon Description: Buttery phyllo dough layered with strawberry compote, Girl Scout Do-SiDos crumble, and a cream made from peanut butter fluff and cream cheese, topped with strawberry coulis and fresh whipped cream.
By Alison Bailin Batz
F
or six weeks each year, Girl Scouts in Arizona participate in the largest girl-led entrepreneurial program in the world: The Girl Scout Cookie Program. This year, the cookie season for the Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus-Pine Council runs through February 27. As in years’ past, all the Girl Scout Cookies’ proceeds stay local to help girls fund impactful projects to benefit the community; embark on girl-led troop adventures; provide programs in STEM, the outdoors, life skills and entrepreneurship; maintain and improve four camp properties; and provide financial assistance that keeps Girl Scouting available and affordable for all girls. To celebrate and support the local cookie season, the Girl Scout Cookie Dessert Challenge is back for its eighth year. Through it, 20 esteemed chefs from venues throughout central and northern Arizona — including more than a dozen from the North Valley — will participate in this year’s friendly competition to create a winning dessert with 34
PB&J Napoleon by Aioli Gourmet Burgers
one of these Girl Scout Cookies: Thin Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs, Do-Si-Dos, Trefoils or Lemon-Ups. “The participating chefs will use their culinary prowess to re-imagine these classic Girl Scout Cookies into a delicious dessert and feature it on their menus throughout the entire month of February. A portion of the proceeds will support Girl Scouting in Arizona,” says Mary Mitchell, the council’s interim co-chief executive officer. There is a voting component to the challenge. The public started voting for their favorite dessert on February 1 and can continue to do so through February 28 at girlscoutsaz.org/dessertchallenge. At the close of the challenge and based on qualified voting, a 2022 champion will be crowned. This year’s Scottsdale and North Valley competitors are:
FEBRUARY 2022 | MARCH 2022 NORTHVALLEYMAGAZINE.COM
Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails at Hotel Palomar Cookie: Do-Si-Dos Dessert: Trifle featuring Girl Scout Do-Si-Dos Description: Mouthwatering layers of Grand Mariner, chocolate pudding, peanut butter mousse and a Do-Si-Dos crumble crust.
Trifle featuring Girl Scout Do-Si-Dos by Blue Hound Kitchen