Cookie Imposter!

It's that time of year again!  Yes, Girl Scout cookies are being sold at every elementary school, church, and door step in America.  I was surprised to find out that the boxes this year are smaller and more expensive because of increased costs.  Did you know that Girl Scout cookies can be bought for different amounts in different places?  The price can vary anywhere between $2.50 to $4.00 a box depending on the location where they are sold.  Each year I am approached by several students and each year I buy TWO boxes; one box of Samoa cookies from a Girl Scout at church and one from a student in my class.  I was, after all, part of this massive army of cookie selling girls.  Uniform and all.  So I can understand the pressure from the troop to SELL ALL cookies.  It also helps pay for things like Girl Scout Camp, oh the memories...

Each day that I commute with Doug, we treat ourselves to two Samoas a piece during the trip home.  Being the thrifty person that I am, I decided to calculate cost per cookie.  A box of Samoas costs $4.00 here in Northern Virginia and there are 15 cookies (Why such an unfriendly odd number??) in a box of Somoas.  Divide 4 by 15 and you find that each cookie is costing you a little more than a quarter (27 cents to be exact). 

We were at Walmart buying only the necessaries for the week when we stumbled upon these...  They were *surprise* on special during this time of year for $1.98 a box plus tax.  Usually we don't splurge on such items, but we wanted to see if we could tell the difference between a bonifide Samoa Girl Scout cookie and it's recently released imposter "Coconut Dreams."  When I opened them in the car, I was pleasantly surprised to find 18 cookies (bonus points for an even number) inside.  Let do the math.  Divide 2 by 18 and you find that each imposter cookie costs 11 cents! A whopping 16 cents less than a Samoa!

After careful analysis, Doug and I decided on the main differences between the two.  The real Samoa definitely has more crunch to it and uses a darker chocolate.  The Coconut Dream has a milkier chocolate and seems to have a little more caramel.  If you place them side by side, they are the same size and thickness.  Both cookies are also 70 calories a piece.

 

Can you tell the difference?

So the real question is, will I continue to buy ridiculously overpriced Girl Scout cookies each year with these babies on the shelf?

YES, of course!  Have you seen the uniforms they have to wear?