Eat your heart out--we score a first taste of the new Girl Scout cookie

​It's that time of year again, when hordes of eight-year-old girls--and their parents--begin pushing boxes of those strangely addictive cookies. Girl Scouts in southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin officially begin their cookies sales on Saturday, but to kick off the season the Scouts will stage a grand opening of a temporary Girl Scout Store at the Mall of America tonight from 5 to 7 p.m. The opening will feature samples of the cookies, including the newest brand, a lemon cookie called Savannah Smiles, created to help celebrate the Scouts' 100th anniversary.

You may not want to negotiate masses of Girl Scouts and their families just for a free sample tonight, but the Hot Dish was fortunate enough to score a box of the new Savannahs. Are they worth ordering when the Scouts come to your door? Here's what we found.

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Get 'em while supplies last

​Sweets Bakeshops in St. Paul and Minneapolis are celebrating Sweets' two-year birthday on Sunday with a tasty promotion: It's giving away a free cupcake to customers while supplies last.

And that's not the only free sample they're giving away. Here are details on how to score your treats:

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See cake contest Sunday, Cake Boss's Buddy Valastro on Tuesday.

​If you're crazy about cakes, this is your week, with not one but two special events for bakery buffs. On Sunday you can watch professional cake decorators put their craft to the test at the Mall of America. And on Tuesday, cake decorator and baker Buddy Valastro of TLC's Cake Boss fame will be showing off his skills at the Orpheum Theatre.

Here are the details:

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The Donut Cooperative is a reality after a year of anticipation.

​The Donut Cooperative is open for business in Seward. The co-op has been on local foodies' minds since August 2010, when the group created a Kickstarter page to raise $10,000 toward startup costs. They raised over $12,000--but failed to meet their scheduled opening date last fall. A year later, they're finally up and selling doughnuts to the public.More >>

Andi McDaniel sees gourmet popsicles as "the new cupcake."

​Andi McDaniel wants to sell gourmet ice pops to yuppies at local farmers' markets. And she hopes donations will help her do it.

McDaniel and her colleague, Sarah Newberry, have set up a Kickstarter page for their business, 10,000 Licks, in hopes of raising $10,000 to purchase a commercial kitchen and new equipment and to pay off their licensing fees.

They're following in the footsteps of the Donut Cooperative, a media-savvy group that raised $10,000 last summer to open a store in the fall. A year later, the co-op still hasn't opened its doors for business. Which raises the question: Does Kickstarter work for funding a food business?

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photo by Joy Summers for City Pages

A recent expansion isn't Sweets' only change.

​ We recently rejoiced about St. Paul bakery Sweets Bakeshop opening a second shop in Minneapolis. We really liked their hands-on approach to teaching students the art of fondant decorating in their School of Sweets. Late last week, another change was announced that left us more concerned than excited. Co-owner and resident pastry chef Krista Steinbach is leaving.

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City Pages

Why choose only one flavor?

​No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, we can all thank Ronald Reagan for declaring July National Ice Cream Month. Just when you thought your summer holiday festivities ended in a sparkly explosion, now comes along the perfect occasion to beat these 90 degree temps.More >>

Cupcake

Cupcake tells the competition, "Bring it on!"

​ You already know that Cupcake is expanding via food truck throughout downtown Minneapolis, but now it's introducing its treats to a national audience. Pastry Chefs Alicia Hinze and Kevin VanDeraa will be one of the teams competing on tonight's episode of Food Network's Cupcake Wars.

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Buttercream

Buttercream's baking up sweet deals.

​Just when you thought Saturdays couldn't get any sweeter, Minnetonka bakery Buttercream ups the sugary ante. In addition to recently welcoming Chocolat Celeste's goodies to their shop, the bakery is rolling out Cupcake Saturday with a sweet promotion.

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