Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan Annual Cookie Gala Returns with New Location, Restaurants

Girl Scouts annual Cookie Gala returns with new location, restaurants and recipes 

DETROIT—Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan announces its annual Cookie Gala, a celebration of one of America’s most beloved sweet treats—Girl Scouts Cookies. The event is on Wednesday, March 27, 2013 from 6p.m. until 8:30 p.m. at a new location, DTE Energy Headquarters, One Energy Plaza in Detroit. Tickets are $100.00 each or $170.00 for a pair until March 21. After March 23, tickets are $120.00 each or $190.00 per pair. Order tickets online at www.gssem.org. 

Cookie Gala will feature four new entrants in the gourmet Girl Scout cookie recipe competition. Cookie Gala first-timers are Aramark Corp., Gastronomy, Macomb Culinary Institute, and Prime 29 Steaks, Seafood and Cocktails. Cookie Gala features Girl Scout cookies kicked up a gourmet notch by some of metro Detroit’s best chefs. Chefs create delectable desserts and appetizer recipes using Girl Scout cookies, and compete to have the best Cookie Gala recipes. This year, a total of 10 restaurants and bakeries from throughout the metro area will compete.

2013 Cookie Gala participating restaurant/bakery and cookie assignments include:

• ARAMARK Corporation, Detroit (Tagalongs)

• Fifty-One-O-One, Dearborn (Savannah Smiles)

• Gastronomy, Southfield (Thin Mints)

• The Lark, West Bloomfield (Thank U Berry Munch)

• Macomb Culinary Institute, Clinton Township (Savannah Smiles)

• Prime29 Steak, Seafood & Cocktails, West Bloomfield (Samoas) 

• St. Clair Inn, Port Huron (Do-si-Dos)

• Sweet & Savory Bake Shop, Oxford (Thin Mint)

• Treat Dreams, Ferndale (Dulce de Leche)

• Weight Watchers Group, Farmington Hills (Trefoils)

Chefs spend weeks creating, testing and re-testing their top secret Cookie Gala entries. Each is assigned a Girl Scout cookie from which they create their own recipe. During the gala, attendees including celebrity guest judges will taste and rate each of the recipes and choose the best for 2013.  

Chef Chris Jablonkski of Fifty-One O One, the restaurant at Henry Ford Community College in Dearborn, said his recipe, made with the lemon cookie Savannah Smiles, is reminiscent of Girl Scouts’ beginning. “I’ll just say that we are incorporating flavors of the south.” This year will be Fifty-One O One’s fifth competing in Cookie Gala. “This is a great opportunity to get our students out in the community, and let people know about our educational facility,” he said. Jablonski and the students working with him on their top-secret Cookie Gala creation are first-timers to the event.

Gastronomy, a Southfield based restaurant, is a first time entrant. Chef Emily Davis is working on a tasty treat made with Thin Mints. “We’re excited and really looking forward to Cookie Gala,” she said.  “Girl Scouts provides great benefit to the community, and we’re happy to be part of supporting the organization. It will also be fun to see what everyone comes up with for their recipes.”

Chefs from each of the participating restaurants will compete to win any of the Cookie Gala awards: People’s Choice, Presenting Sponsor, Judges’ Choice, Girls’ Choice, and CEO’s Choice. 

Ford Motor Company is the presenting sponsor of the 2013 Cookie Gala. Additional sponsors include; DTE Energy, Motor City Electric, General Motors, Clark Hill PLC Attorneys at Law, Comerica Bank, Quicken Loans, Baker Tilly, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Commonwealth Financial Network, Delta Dental of Michigan, Hylant, and Preferred Moving & Storage.

Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan (GSSEM) is the local council chartered by Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) to facilitate the Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE), designed to help girls develop leadership skills through three key elements—Discover, Connect and Take Action. Each element has a set of five outcomes including girls develop a strong sense of self (Discover); girls develop healthy relationships (Connect); and girls can identify community needs (Take Action). GSSEM serves nearly 39,000 girls and adult volunteers in Oakland, Macomb, Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac, and parts of Wayne, Monroe and Livingston Counties. GSSEM provides a girl-led, girl-centered, fun-filled quality leadership experience.