POCATELLO - Girl Scout cookies shouldn't just be enjoyed from the box.

They can be wrapped in flakes of fillo dough, be one of six layers in a white chocolate cake or form the crust of a caramel-topped cheese cake.

"The secret is everybody loves Girl Scout cookies," Rob Wiscombe said Friday night as he watched some local Girl Scouts hand out small plates of his caramel-topped and cookie-crusted cheese cake to curious tasters. "And who wouldn't want caramel cheese cake and Girl Scout cookies?"

Wiscombe, a chef and catering manager with Catering By The Continental Bistro, was one of several local chefs who gave guests samples of their desserts during the area Girl Scout's first Cookie Magic night at the Rosewood Reception Center.

Tesa Handlen, a troop leader, said Cookie Magic officially kicked off the local Girl Scouts 'cookie sales.

She said the local troops began taking the cookie orders Friday and will do so for the next three weeks.

"Boise does a similar event," Handlen said, adding that the local troops hope to host Cookie Magic annually. "But we thought about it for a while. We wanted something to kick off our cookie season."

During the event, locals tasted numerous desserts, which are each made with one of four different Girl Scout cookies.

The cookie flavors are coconut and chocolate, mint, short bread and caramel.

Guests at the Rosewood purchased raffle tickets to taste the desserts. They could taste three different desserts for $5 or purchase 15 samples for $20.

At the end of the night, all of the guests who purchased a raffle ticket got to vote for their favorite dessert.

Some of the creative treats included multilayered cakes topped with strawberries and cookies that were enclosed in chocolate cheese cake.

The Senang Wine Bar and Tapas Bistro, Butterburrs Restaurant and Catering By The Continental Bistro were voted for making the top three cookie desserts.

Wiscombe made his desserts in large square pans and sliced into square treats that he served on foam plates. He said he finished all of his caramel cheesecake samples Thursday.

"It's a great occasion," Wiscombe said. "It's about the ability to participate and be involved in this event."