Students bring cookies to the kitchen

For decades Girl Scouts have sold Girl Scout cookies to raise money for their organization but Blackfoot Troop No. 584 are doing things differently this year.

The troop is hosting its first “Cookies in the Kitchen” event, where people in the community are encouraged to create a cookie-inspired dessert. Blackfoot’s High School has even taken on the challenge with its culinary arts class.

Senior Preston Harris has chosen Thin Mints as his desserts inspiration.

“We’re just doing a basic brownie and then we’re crushing the Thin Mints and folding it in so that it’s a little bit chunky,” he said.

Harris’s classmate Sammi Gough has decided to shy away from the traditional favorite to transform the Lemon Cookie.

“We’re making a lemon cheesecake where we use the cookies as a sort of crust,” she said.

To make the cookie competition more mysterious, many in the community didn’t realize they would be faced with young talent. In fact, most don’t realize that Blackfoot even offers culinary training.

“It’s just really starting in its infancy. We’re getting it going and each year it gets better and better. Next semester they will be working out in the community in different places,” said the high school’s culinary instructor, Tammy Luker.

The class has been offered for the past few year. Luker said she can’t think of a better project to help her student not only move forward, but to understand how their talents can contribute to the community.

“I never thought I’d be apart of something much bigger than, like myself and my family, but being part of the community in general is pretty cool,” said Harris.

Mayor Paul Loomis and several other community leaders will judge the desserts on March 1 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. People throughout the community are welcome to sample the desserts as well. Dessert samples are five for $5 or 20 for $15.