Girl Scouts cookie sales are in full swing across the nation.

As you crack open a box of your favorite flavor, you might be surprised to learn the crunchy treats sold by the girl next door are not the same as those peddled by your niece in Los Angeles.

In Orange County, 16,000 Girl Scouts sell cookies made by ABC Bakers. Other troops, including those in Los Angeles, use Little Brownie Bakers – one of only two commercial plants authorized to manufacture the famed fund-raising treats such as Samoas.

Or is it Caramel deLites?

The toasted coconut and caramel cookie draws frequent questions from die-hard fans, according to Girl Scouts of Orange County. Is one a doppelganger treat in disguise?

We give you the answer, and dive into other unknown facts about the all-American treats. Sales, by the way, end March 8.

Tale of two bakers ABC Bakers and Little Brownie Bakers are the only two licensed Girl Scout cookie manufacturers that serve councils across the country. Each organization can choose whichever baker they want. In 2008, Girl Scouts of Orange County switched to ABC Bakers, a division of Virginia-based Interbake Foods. The company has cranked out cookies and crackers for 100 years, and became an official Girl Scout cookie baker in 1937. Orange County dropped Little Brownie after conducting blind taste tests. The informal results showed the cookies produced by ABC Bakers were slightly better. Tasters noted that ABC’s Thin Mints were mintier, the peanut butter cookies creamier and the shortbread more authentic and less sweet. The feedback remains the same, years later, says Emilie Perkins, a spokeswoman for Girl Scouts of Orange County. “We continue to receive positive feedback on the flavor and quality of our cookies,” Perkins said Wednesday. What happened to the Samoas? Despite changing bakers seven years ago, Perkins said a few questions arise each year about cookie flavors and different names. The most popular questions are tied to the Caramel deLites. What happened to the Samoas? Turns out, each baker holds trademarks to certain cookies. Some are named differently, and the recipes might be slightly tweaked. In the case of the Caramel deLites, Perkins said: “They have a similar look and taste, but they may have different recipes.” Little Brownie Bakers, a Girl Scout cookie baker since 1974, makes Samoas, Thin Mints, Tagalongs, Do-si-dos and Trefoils, Savannah Smiles, Rah-Rah Raisins and Toffee-tastic. ABC Bakers produces Thin Mints, Lemonades, Peanut Butter Patties, Shortbread, Thanks-a-lot, Caramel deLites, Peanut Butter Sandwich, and Cranberry Citrus Crisps. This year, local troops are also selling Trios, a gluten-free peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. ABC Bakers began baking Girl Scout cookies in 1937. Anyone in Orange County who bought local Girl Scout cookies in the 1980s through 2008, might be more familiar with Little Brownie’s recipes. The company owns the trademark for Tagalongs, Do-si-dos, Samoas and Trefoils. ABC Bakers uses different names for the same cookies: Peanut Butter Patties, Peanut Butter Sandwich, Caramel deLites and Shortbread, respectively. Los Angeles troops work with Little Brownie Bakers, which explains why the offerings are different in that region. Between the two bakers, Girl Scouts sell 200 million boxes of cookies every season. In Orange County, local Girl Scouts sold more than 2.6 million boxes of cookies last year. The average troop earned more than $1,200, which supplements the cost of travel, camping and uniform supplies. The top sellers are Thin Mints (25 percent of sales in 2011-12), Samoas/Caramel deLites (19 percent), Peanut Butter Patties/Tagalongs (13 percent), Peanut Butter Sandwich/Do-si-dos (11 percent), and Shortbread/Trefoils (9 percent) But do they taste the same? Anyone with a sensitive palate might be able to discern subtle differences in Girl Scout cookies made by the two bakers. While the majority of the ingredients used by Little Brownie Bakers and ABC Bakers are the same, the biggest difference comes down to the fat. Little Brownie Bakers uses vegetable oil while ABC Bakers uses vegetable shortening. The solid fat includes more trans fats than its liquid cousin. Other differences include sugar tradeoffs and nuts vs. butters. For example, Little Brownie has peanut butter listed as an ingredient for Tagalongs and Do-si-dos. ABC uses peanuts for its Peanut Butter Patties and Peanut Butter Sandwiches. While none of Little Brownie Bakers’ cookies contain high-fructose corn syrup, some ABC cookies, including Thin Mints, do. “Whether the box says Samoas or Caramel deLites, it’s still the delicious chocolate-coconut-caramel Girl Scout Cookie people love,” said Stewart Goodbody, a spokesman for the Girl Scouts of the USA. Higher prices, online orders Inflation caught up with most Girl Scouts this year, as most raised the price of their iconic cookies by $1 a box to combat rising commodity costs. The last increase was 10 years ago, when prices jumped to $4 from $3 a box. Perkins said the $5 a box charge will offset its rising supplier and operating costs. Specifically, bakery fees have gone up 14 percent since 2004. “Inflation trends affect us all and have had a major impact on the food industry, including the Girl Scout cookie program,” she said. The move to charge $5 a package coincides with a new online ordering system implemented by the Girl Scouts of Orange County to boost out-of-area sales. Similar to school fundraisers, troops can email an invitation to friends and family to buy cookies through a secure site. Microwave cookies at home? Turns out the Girl Scouts are selling more than cookies these days. Soon Girl Scouts can create cookies “inspired” by their favorites with their own Girl Scouts Cookie Oven. The oven, made by Pennsylvania-based toymaker Wicked Cool Toys, lets kids make cookies “inspired” by Thin Mints, Trefoils and Peanut Butter Sandwich among others. It should be available for purchase in the fall. The oven will retail for $59.99 and cookie mix will vary from $6.99 to $14.99. The company also makes a wagon that has a removable cookie stand and chalkboard – perfect for the cookie entrepreneur. Lending their name to a variety of licensed products has helped boost revenue. In recent years, the 103-year-old girls’ club has also struck deals with coffee creamers and scented candles. Two years ago, the New York City-based organization signed a $2 million partnership with Mattel Inc. that resulted in a Girl Scout Barbie doll. Dessert Bonanza This week some restaurants participating in OC Restaurant Week have prepared desserts honoring various Girl Scout cookies. Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour, a Lemonades cookie cream soda; Maro Wood Grill, a crunch sundae made with Trios crumble; Pascal, a Thin Mints mousse cake; Paul Martin’s American Grill, homemade ice cream with assorted Girl Scout cookies; Provenance. a chocolate and peanut butter mousse torte with a Trios cookie crust; Slapfish, a Caramel deLites Chipwich with Thin Mints-studded ice cream; Slater’s 50/50, a Peanut Butter Patties push pops and Caramel deLites push pops; Sundried Tomato American Bistro, Lemonades cookie sandwich. Find menus at: OrangeCountyRestaurantWeek.com.

Bloomberg News contributed to this report.