Tell us your favorite Girl Scout Cookie and we’ll tell you what Shakespeare play to read next

Posted February 5, 2025

Shakespeare with cookie banner

William Shakespeare died in 1616, which means, among many other modern advances in the last 400 years, he tragically didn’t live to see the glorious rise of the Girl Scout Cookie.

In fact, sweet treats of his day rarely came in colorful packaging or with such cheery names. Instead, desserts like seed and ale cakes, puddings, preserved fruits and comfits were often simultaneously sugary and stale, though to their credit not entirely lacking for flavor.

Perhaps if Shakespeare and his contemporaries had known the joys of a Thin Mint cookie fresh out the freezer (also not yet invented), we wouldn’t have gotten such a horrifying take on pies in Titus Andronicus.

Putting the lengthy list of anachronisms aside, we’ve come up with a mutually beneficial list to match you with your perfect Bard-and-biscuit duo. A sweet and salty list of plays to accompany this year’s cookie craving. Take a bite!

Lemonades: Much Ado About Nothing

Official Description: Savory, refreshing shortbread cookies topped with a tangy lemon-flavored icing.
Sweet and sour could define plenty of Shakespeare’s most famous couples, but perhaps none as well as Benedick and Beatrice. In one scene they’re throwing tart and bitter insults at one another and the next they’re professing (or attempting to profess) their love in syrupy sonnets. Lemonades represent the sometimes-stinging nature of love while transporting us to a coastal paradise far, far away from our couch in mid-February.

The cast of Much Ado About Nothing, 2024.  Photo by Liz Lauren. 

Lemon-Ups: Macbeth

Official Description: Crispy lemon cookies baked with inspiring messages.
Ever feel like you’re destined for greatness but keep looking for a sign from the universe that you are heading in the right direction? Seek your fortune with the inspirational messages atop the tangy Lemon-Ups. Fuel your ambition and achieve your destiny, but beware too much of a good thing or deal with the disastrous consequences to follow (upset tummy).

Melisa Pereyra & Marcus Truschinski, Macbeth, 2019. Photo by Liz Lauren. 

Thin Mints: The Winter's Tale

Official Description: Crisp, chocolate cookies dipped in a delicious mint chocolaty coating
This was a tough one. Thin Mints are the reigning champ when it comes to Girl Scout Cookie sales, so we knew this was going to be a controversial pick regardless of what play we chose to pair with it. That acknowledged, the semi-sweet, icy flavor palate made us immediately think of The Winter’s Tale. Refreshing and nuanced, not overly saccharine, The Winter’s Tale, much like the Thin Mint, gets better the older we get.

Caramel deLites: Romeo and Juliet

Official Description: Crisp cookies with caramel, coconut and chocolate stripes
Romeo and Juliet have a love seemingly written in the stars, but the sugar-rush of passion they experience leaves a tragic toll in their wake. Caramel deLites (also known as Somoas – but “what’s in a name?”) hits the perfect blend of decadence and danger with its combination of sweet and crunchy. Plus, eat too many and run the risk of tearing up the roof of your mouth like a sword fight. But don’t be too worried – Caramel deLites rarely have violent ends.

Joshua Castille & Isabelle Bushue, Romeo & Juliet, 2023. Photo by Liz Lauren. 

Toffee-tastic: The Merry Wives of Windsor

Official Description: Rich, buttery cookies with sweet, crunchy toffee bits. Gluten free!
How could this one not be Falstaff-coded? The Toffee-tastic looks like a rustic treat prepared by a jolly innkeeper and designed to be washed down with a large mug of ale after a hard day of swindling. It’s oily but sweet and just a little bit gluttonous with chunks of English toffee for added flare. Pair with a refreshing glass of posset and enjoy the crusty and clever characters of Windsor.

David Daniel, The Merry Wives of Windsor, 2023. Photo by Liz Lauren. 

Girl Scout S'mores: A Midsummer Night's Dream

Official Description: Crunchy graham sandwich cookies with chocolate and marshmallow filling.
A fresh take on a summer classic. The s’more and A Midsummer Night’s Dream feel synonymous with being surrounded by trees and staring up into a dazzling star-filled sky, gazing into the vast but comforting beyond. Childhood classics in their own rights, both s’mores and Midsummer can be enjoyed at any age with a side of woods and whimsy. 
But don’t wait! These cookies (and this production) are only available in 2025.

Colleen Madden & John Pribyl, A Midsummer Night's Dream, 2017. Photo by Liz Lauren. 

Peanut Butter Patties/ Tagalongs: As You Like It


Official Description: Crispy cookies layered with peanut butter and covered with a chocolaty coating

This choice was inspired by the most famous literary tag-a-long there is: Touchstone. But truthfully, the entire cast of characters in As You Like It match the sweet-but-nutty flavor profile of the Peanut Butter Pattie. A great snack to have on hand as you and your friend plan your next adventure into the forest or to snack on while watching a wrestling match.

Andrea San Miguel & Melisa Pereyra, As You Like It, 2018. Photo by Liz Lauren. 

Toast-Yay!: Henry V

Official Description: Yummy toast-shaped cookies full of French toast flavor and dipped in delicious icing.
Profess your love of France without grasping for translation! These tiny, toasted delicacies are sophisticated and interesting, packing a sweet punch with their effortless je ne sais quoi, and are sure to melt any monarch’s heart.

Matt Schwader, King Henry V, 2009. Photo by Zane Williams. 

Adventurefuls: Twelfth Night

Official Description: Indulgent brownie-inspired cookies topped with caramel flavored crème with a hint of sea salt.
Looks can be deceiving with this thrilling combination. Upon first glance, you may mistake this cookie for another, perhaps one of the peanut butter variety, but you’d be fooled. Adventure awaits aboard this layered and chewy cookie with a briny bite. A fabulous treat for any shipwrecked scalawag in search of a good time.

Kelsey Brennan, Twelfth Night, 2019. Photo by Liz Lauren. 

Trefoils/ Shortbread: The Taming of the Shrew

Official Description: Iconic shortbread cookies inspired by the original Girl Scout Cookie recipe.
The one that started it all. Revisit what was once thought to be a relic of the past through a contemporary lens and discover something new and surprising. Sure, both the play and cookie have come a long way since the controversial start, but it’s worth a nod and some respect for being the OG and paving the way for generations of enterprising young women.

Alejandra Escalante & Daniel José Molina, The Taming of the Shrew, 2021. Photo by Liz Lauren. 

Feeling hungry? Find a troop near you to support your cookie cravings today.