Ohio school district receives multiple calls about pink cookie

Associated Press

ELYRIA, OHIO

A Northeast Ohio school district that discontinued a popular cafeteria cookie under new federal nutritional guidelines says it has heard from plenty of people commenting on the decision or wanting to place special orders for the treat, some from out of state.

The traditional Elyria pink cookie is a sweet, sour-cream sugar cookie with pink icing.

It was a favorite of students for four decades, but cafeterias in the Elyria City School District stopped selling it because of the government’s edict to provide more healthful foods and cut fats and cholesterol.

In response, the district west of Cleveland has received more than 100 calls and messages, district spokeswoman Amy Higgins told The Chronicle-Telegram.

“The calls range from those wishing to order cookies to those wanting to modify the recipe to a more ‘healthful’ version in their home kitchens to those who think we should simply ignore the federal regulations and keep serving them,” Higgins said.

The district’s food provider had decided against offering a more healthful version, saying that a modified recipe just wouldn’t be the same, but the district still will bake the pink cookies for special orders.

“Lots of people suggested reducing the size to subsequently reduce the calories,” Higgins said. “We continue to investigate our options for serving the cookie.”

The district will take orders for cookies after Labor Day and bake them for Friday pickups locally, for $8 per dozen.

Officials haven’t decided whether they’ll also ship orders to other locations.