Saturday, July 28, 2012

Nestlé Crunch + Girl Scouts

I grabbed these goodies at the Stop & Shop
In a way, Girl Scout Cookies are the ultimate example of limited availability creating demand, even to the point of possibly elevating the quality of the products in the taste buds of their fans. After all, you can't just buy your Samoas, Thin Mints, etc. whenever you want to. Once or twice a year you get the word that they are on sale and you gotta jump on it or your favorite variety will run out. And because you don't know when next you'll get any, you savor every bite.

There has been plenty of debate about the the philanthropic philosophy behind the cookies and whether they should be healthier, or if they are any good to begin with - or at least better than generally available commercial cookies. But that's all grist for the mill on another day. Under discussion is the new collaboration between Nestlé Crunch and Girl Scouts, leading to the creation of candy bars "inspired by the three most popular flavors of Girl Scout Cookies": Thin Mints, Caramel & Coconut and Peanut Butter Creme.

Since I believe mint belongs mainly in toothpaste, Juleps and Mojitos, I tasted the latter two. Both types consist of a wafer cookie containing the titular flavors topped with a layer of crisp rice and enrobed in milk chocolate. From the first ultra-crunchy and tasty bite, I knew they had a winner. Incredibly light but with layers of rich flavor, these little bars are addictive. Fortunately a "serving" with under 200 calories consists of two bars so you can indulge a little. Based on these two, I'm sure Thin Mints fans will be more than satisfied.

I spotted this dump in a Rite Aid
No one is going to come to your door selling these but you can find them in most major supermarkets in boxes of about 12 bars, or in drug stores in individual packets of two bars each. Finally, if making your sweet tooth happy is also helping build "girls of courage, confidence, and character," so much the better.

Availability: They've been on sale since early June and the supply should hold out until around Labor Day.