Girl Scout cookie season is coming, introducing brand new raspberry flavored cookie

VALLEY FORGE, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- The cookie cargo has arrived at Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania's Valley Forge Service Center.

Tractor trailers stocked with nearly 65,000 Girl Scout cookie packages are coming this weekend to be distributed to local troops.

"Today is the first day. So this is happening everywhere, all over our nine counties of Pennsylvania," said Paige Walsh of Girl Scouts of Eastern PA.

"When the kids are at school, mom gets all the cookies," said Angela Zampogna, as she climbed around in the back of her Suburban packed with cookie cases.

Cookie season is set to start on January 19.

"Well, today is the initial order pickup, and I have 122 cases that I'm picking up," said Zampogna.

Jennifer Angelucci of Oaks leads two troops her 10th and 8th grade daughters are in. They've learned over the years which cookies are in highest demand.

"Thin Mints are the favorite, followed by Caramel DeLites, Peanut Butter Patties," she said. "It's just definitely a great way for the girls to kind of get a huge experience dealing with the public and how to budget and use their money wisely."

All proceeds fund troop experiences, local programs, camps, and events.

"The girls love doing it, and they make quite a bit of money for our troop. So we already have a camping trip scheduled to spend this money that we haven't earned yet," said troop leader Joanne Tidwell of Malvern.

And there's a new addition to the cookie lineup this year: the Raspberry Rally. It looks a lot like a Thin Mint, but raspberry flavored. You can only purchase this cookie online. It's a way for the girls to bolster their online skills.

"That was a way for GSUSA to promote the girls as e-commerce businesses. This is an online only cookie," said Walsh.

This year is also the 10th anniversary of the first gluten free Girl Scout cookies.

"I think it's great for the girls, setting the goals and learning how to be their own entrepreneur business people is really wonderful, and seeing them succeed and seeing them empowered is what Girl Scouts is all about," said troop leader Garbo Struble of Malvern. "And that's why we pick up 85 cases of cookies every year."

Girl Scout cookie season runs from January 19 through March 12.