As Girl Scout Cookie Season Opens, A New, Gluten-Free Variety
By Hadas Kuznits
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Girl Scout cookie season is upon us once again!
The selling began today and continues through March 9th.
"This program allows girls to fund their Girl Scouting experience," notes Natalie Paquin, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania.
And she points out that the Girl Scout cookie-selling tradition has its roots in this area:
"We have been selling cookies for 82 years. We actually started the commercially baked cookie program here in Philadelphia, so this is an American tradition."
And this year, for the first time, the Girls Scouts are offering a gluten-free cookie.
"It's a chocolate-chip shortbread cookie, and it's really for many of your listeners who have Celiac disease or are gluten intolerant," she says. "It's a limited supply, and only 20 councils across the country are offering this product now, and so we're really excited about it."