The scenario was the same for me every year in the ’70s. I would put on my green uniform and all the accoutrements (sash and yellow bow tie, of course) pull my hair into pigtails and put on my best shoes.
Knock, knock, knock. “Hi, my name is Paula, would you like to buy some Girl Scout cookies?” I would sheepishly say, as my dad would open his bedroom door and help me fine-tune my sales skills before going door-to-door.
“Nope, do it again, and this time add a bit more passion and smile,” he said.
After about the fourth try, I would generally nail it with my enthusiasm. “I will take all 24 boxes in the case,” he would laughingly say, as he pulled out his wallet.
Little did I know that years later I would still be connected to Girl Scouts and their cookies. I am no longer selling the cookies, but passionately guiding consumers on how to pair wine with Girl Scout cookies.
So, let’s get started with the two new Girl Scout cookies being introduced this year! Toffee-tastic, a gluten-free option that is buttery and crispy, filled with toffee morsels and Rah Rah Raisin, oatmeal cookies with raisins and yogurt-flavored bits.
The Toffee-tastic cookie is destined for Champagne and perhaps a dry Riesling (no residual sugar). The buttery smoothness and nutty taste scream for an opposite pairing of wine with a bit of acidity to subdue, balance and enhance the creaminess of the cookie.
And the Rah Rah Raisin (love, love, love the name!) calls for a pairing of red wine that mimics similar characteristics in the yummy boldness of the raisins. Choose a red like malbec or zinfandel. The heartiness of this cookie calls for a red wine to unveil both the strength of the cookie and the boldness of the wine.
Thinking about Girl Scout cookies tempts my memories when I think of my sweet picks as a young girl. Thin Mints were always my choice, and since youth has swept me to my new-found branch of full-grown, or should I say, “in my prime,” that has led me to wine, I will most certainly reach for a merlot or perhaps a pinot noir to go with my Thin Mint cookie. The chocolate and mint of the cookie imitate and are similar to the mocha and mintiness of both these wines.
Who can argue with the classic American combination of peanut butter and jelly? Girl Scouts have been selling the Do-si-dos/Peanut Butter Sandwich cookies for as long as I can remember. Think about adding a bit of sweet opposition to the smooth peanut butter with an ice wine from the Finger Lakes or a semi-sweet Riesling and you’ve got your peanut butter and jelly for dessert.
And the classic Shortbread/Trefoils always entices my palate toward subduing the creaminess of this buttery cookie with an unoaked chardonnay (as opposed to an overly oaky chardonnay) or perhaps a bit of sparkling wine to subdue the rich buttery flavor and tame it with contrast.
Listed below are some affordable picks and some of my all-time favorites from the old world and the new world.
Learn even more about wine pairings at www.PaulaMoulton.com