Girl Scout Cookie bake-off judged by local culinary experts
SWARTHMORE » Members of Swarthmore Cadette Girl Scout Troops 50220 and 51125 were recently challenged with a bakeoff, using Girl Scout Cookies among their ingredients. Under the leadership of Jen Armstrong, Kathleen Davis, and Autumn Mansor, the troops are made up of girls in grades six and seven at Strath Haven Middle School and Delaware Valley Friends School.
On Sunday evening, an esteemed panel of local experts did the judging. The judges included Mike Litka, manager of Swarthmore Co-op; Beth DeBruyn, baker and owner of CAKEzilla; Andy Rosen, sustainable food advocate and former manager of Swarthmore Farmer’s Market; and Judy Owen, home baker and professor emeritus of biology.
The judges joined joined the troops on Zoom for live sampling and anonymous judging of ten treats that the girls had delivered that afternoon to their respective locations. While judging the entries on taste, presentation, and creativity, the judges also offered tips. For example, DeBruyn recommended cooking a simple syrup with equal parts of water and sugar to add to the cake before icing to keep the cake moist.
Anabella Larin, 12, won first place and received a Swarthmore Co-op gift certificate for her entry. The award-winning young baker made vanilla cupcakes with chocolate ganache, topped with caramel frosting, toasted coconut and Caramel Delights. According to her mother Elizabeth, Annabella chose a complicated recipe and watched YouTube videos to learn the steps. Taking risks paid off, as the judges lauded her cupcakes for their taste, complexity, moistness, creativity, and presentation. One of the judges even awarded Anabella a perfect score.
All of the girls used creativity in the recipes. Lauren Davis made a Cookie pie with Nutella and Peanut Butter Patties, topped with Peanut Butter Patties and Reese’s cups. Kathleen Kelly made a yellow cake with buttercream icing, decorated with Lemonade cookies to look like the sun in the blue sky. Nora Schmutz made vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream peppermint icing topped with crushed Thin Mints. And Elaine Herndon made a chocolate ice cream dessert with peanut butter drizzle and Peanut Butter Patties.
Maisie Strachan created white cupcakes with cream cheese frosting topped with crushed Toast-Yay cookies and cinnamon sugar. Naomi Fries made chocolate cupcakes with Peanut Butter Patties, peanut butter icing, topped with Peanut Butter Patties. Mia Fagone created Thin Mint cupcakes baked with Shortbread cookie and a Shortbread icing, topped with Thin Mints. Cadette Maeve Raffaele made chocolate covered strawberries rolled in Thin Mint crumbs and Sophie Jackson made a Lemon Ricotta Pie, using lemons, lemonade, eggs and ricotta and a Shortbread cookie crust and Lemonade cookie topping.
Girl Scout Cookie season ends in mid-March, so leader Jen Armstrong advised to stock up now, support a local troop and try to create some dessert masterpieces like these Girl Scouts did.
Girl Scout Anabella Larin displays her first-place winning cupcakes during a recent bake-off event. She used Caramel Delights as an ingredient. Her Girl Scout Troop participated in a bake-off that required that the young bakers use Girl Scout Cookies as an ingredient in the recipes.
Trout fishing tournament benefits Ridley United Soccer
Ridley United Soccer will host its annual Trout Fishing Tournament at Ridley Park Lake, starting at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, April 3. Cost is $20 per angler and $10 per angler, 15-years-old and under. The cost includes breakfast and prizes.
A fishing license is required for all anglers older than 16-years-old. To register for this program, visit www.ridleyunitedsoccer.org.
Villanova launches program for young adults with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities
Villanova University’s College of Professional Studies recently announced the creation of the VUnited Scholars Program, a certificate program for highly motivated young adults with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities. The two-year, residential, value-centered program aims to provide students a meaningful and unique college experience where they can maximize their personal growth and realize their immense learning potential.
Focused on preparing Villanova scholars for careers in business and human services, the program includes academic coursework, community building, vocational training, and development of independent living skills. Students will live on campus with access to all University facilities and will be supported and mentored by a variety of peers, faculty and staff to ensure students are comfortable and thriving in all aspects of their Villanova experience.
This program aligns directly with Villanova University’s mission, as well as the vision for the future. According to the press release announcing the program, expanded access to an inclusive, Augustinian, Catholic education will result in a transformative experience not only for the VUnited Scholars, but for every member of the Villanova community.
Application for admission to the Fall 2021 program is now open.
Villanova encourages candidates with intellectual curiosity and a strong interest in pursuing a higher education experience and independent living to apply for VUnited Scholars. Spots are limited and applicants should check the admissions webpage for specific information at https://
www1.villanova.edu/university/professional-studies/academics/degrees-certificates/vunited-scholars. html.
To speak with the admissions team and learn more about the program, email Patricia Ertwine at patricia.ertwine@villanova.edu or call 610-5196712.
PennDOT offers final extension for commercial driver’s licenses
PennDOT announced that expiration dates for commercial driver licenses and commercial learner’s permits will be extended for Pennsylvania residents in response to statewide
COVID-19 mitigation efforts. This will be the final extension for the following products’ expiration dates:
The expiration date for a commercial learner’s permit scheduled to expire from March 16, 2020, through March 31, 2021, is extended through March
31, 2021. The expiration date for commercial driver licenses scheduled to expire from March 16, 2020, through March 31, 2021, is extended through March 31,
2021. Expiration extension deadlines on non-commercial driver license, photo identification cards, learner’s permits and camera cards ended on August 31, 2020.
For more information on any expirations or extensions, visit www.penndot.gov.
PRC hosts free rain garden webinar
Pennsylvania Resources Council and its partners in the Greater Philadelphia area will host a free Rain Garden webinar, 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 6, to explore how to build and maintain a rain garden as well as how to become involved with building rain gardens in the community.
Individuals can gain hands-on experience by helping build late spring rain gardens in Delaware County or apprenticing by assessing potential locations and designing rain gardens. According to Diana Andrejczak, PRC Eastern Program Director, “Rain gardens are a highly effective method of stormwater management, and our program partners have designed and built more than 60 rain gardens in the region at parks, libraries and private properties.”
This Zoom webinar session is presented by Darby Creek Valley Association, Eastern Delaware County Stormwater Collaborative, Hav-A-Rain Garden, Upper Darby Rain Gardens and PRC.
The webinar is free but advance registration is required. Register at https:// prc.org/programs/webinars.