Unique culinary fundraiser features area restaurants serving up dishes made with Girl Scout Cookies

Girl Scouts of Eastern PA (GSEP) and ArtsQuest™ are hosting the 3rd Annual ‘Girl Scout Cookie Crunch’ on Sunday, February 26, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The event will be held at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, located at 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem. The dynamic culinary fundraiser will serve as a benefit for both GSEP and the ArtsQuest Art Education Fund which provides quality arts and education programs for area students. Tickets are available for $30 for adults, $25 for ArtsQuest Members, and $15 for children ages 12 and under and active Girl Scouts ages 17 and under. Tickets can be purchased through www.steelstacks.org or via phone at 610-332-3378. All adult ticket purchasers will receive one box of the Girl Scout S’mores.

At Cookie Crunch, the region’s top chefs and restaurants come together to create delicious and unique dishes, all made with Girl Scout Cookies. From amazing appetizers to decadent desserts, each selection features one (or more) of the nine Girl Scout Cookie brands: Thin Mints®, Peanut Butter Patties®, Caramel deLITES®, Shortbreads®, Lemonades®, Peanut Butter Sandwiches®,Thanks-A-Lots®, Gluten-Free Trios® and the new, limited-edition Girl Scout S’Mores®, commemorating the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts selling cookies.

During the event, attendees can sample all of the culinary creations, as well as vote for their favorites in both the ‘sweet’ and ‘savory’ People’s Choice categories. New this year, ages 18 and under can also vote for the winner of the Kid’s Choice Award. Adding to the flavor of this year’s event, guests will have a chance to meet Lucy Chelton, a Girl Scout Junior of Sellersville who was named winner of the popular Food Network show “Chopped Jr” this past August.

“We are thrilled to be hosting our annual Girl Scout Cookie Crunch with ArtsQuest and to support art education in the local community. This year’s Cookie Crunch with ArtsQuest is really special, as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts selling cookies,” says Ken Anderson, Vice President of Business Development at Girl Scouts of Eastern PA. “Cookie Crunch is a delicious way to celebrate the Cookie Program, which is the largest girl-led business in the world and teaches key skills, including goal setting, money management, business ethics, people skills, and decision-making. The Girl Scout cookie sale runs from January 19 through March 12.”

Leading the list of culinary participants at this year’s Cookie Crunch is Cindie Feldman of 29 Cooks Catering + Culinary Center of Macungie, a recent winner of the Food Network’s “Cooks vs. Cons.”

Other restaurants confirmed include:

  • Bethlehem Dairy Store, Bethlehem
  • Forks Mediterranean Deli, Easton
  • Iron Lakes Country Club, Orefield
  • Parkhurst Dining Services, Cedar Crest College
  • Sagra Bistro, Hellertown
  • Shankara Vegan Restaurant, Bethlehem
  • The Steel Pub, Bethlehem
  • Trixie’s Treats, Allentown
  • Vince’s Cheesesteaks, Allentown

The complete list of participating restaurants will be announced early in 2017. All cookie brands used in dishes at the event will be sold by local Girl Scouts, providing attendees the opportunity to leave with plenty of their favorite cookies or opt to donate a box to our Armed Forces with Operation Cookies from Home.

Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania and ArtsQuest are also looking for additional restaurants and sponsors to be part of this exciting culinary event. Any restaurant or business interested in learning more may contact ArtsQuest’s Nick Michael at nmichael@artsquest.org or the Girl Scouts’ Carla Hickey at chickey@gsep.org.

About Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania

Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania (GSEP) is the largest girl-serving organization in Pennsylvania and builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.  GSEP serves close to 40,000 girls in partnership with more than 15,000 volunteers in Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton and Philadelphia counties. Today, 80 percent of women in leadership and executive roles in the U.S. were Girl Scouts.  Girl Scout alumnae comprise 70 percent of women in the U.S. Congress.  For further information about Girl Scouting, how to join, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, call 215-564-2030 or visit www.gsep.org. Follow GSEP on Facebook or Twitter @GirlScoutsEPenn!

About ArtsQuest

ArtsQuest™ is a Bethlehem, PA-based nonprofit dedicated to presenting music, arts, festivals, cultural experiences and educational and outreach programs that aid in economic development, urban revitalization and community enrichment. Through festivals such as its flagship event, Musikfest®; the Banana Factory® cultural arts and education center; and the ArtsQuest Center and SteelStacks™ arts and cultural campus, ArtsQuest’s programming reaches more than 1.8 million people annually. For more information on ArtsQuest, visit www.artsquest.org or call 610-332-1300. Follow ArtsQuest on Facebook or Twitter @ArtsQuest and @SteelStacks!