This care package celebrates International Star Wars Day. Galaxy Brownies and Star Wars Sugar Cookies were boxed up and mailed to arrive in time for the May 4th observance. May the 4th be with you!
Why you'll love this recipe
I'm not making the holiday up! Though I had never heard of International Star Wars Day before last year, there is a whole world of Star Wars fans that have been celebrating on May 4th since the play on words phrase was supposedly first coined in 1979.
I learned about the holiday in a Soldiers Angels Facebook group where Angels share their ideas and support each other. Last year, several Angels sent great care packages with the “May the 4th” theme.
It was too late for me to use the idea right away, but I began collecting Star Wars items immediately. This year I was informed and ready with Star Wars Sugar Cookies and care package goodies!
Care package
When decorating the inside of a military care package, how to attach the decorations requires some consideration. Especially in the heat of summer, glue tends to melt and the carefully applied wrapping falls off.
Think super strength adhesive. Duct tape to the rescue. The tape comes in a huge variety of patterns and colors. One 10 foot roll easily covers the flaps of a large flat rate box, with extra left over for additional decorating.
For this Star Wars box, I used Galaxy patterned tape (Duck Tape brand from Michaels). I also attached a few well know phrases and pictures from the Star Wars first movie.
Care package contents
Star Wars merchandise is everywhere! I found bubbles, puzzles, tissues, q-tips, ice pops, and candy at the Dollar Store.
Free printable wrappers are available online to turn packaged candy and snacks into Star Wars themed goodies (like Princess Leia Honey Buns, Boba Gum, and Wookie Cookies).
“May the 4th be with you” and other Star Wars t-shirts are available online (I purchased 2 from Textual Tees for $5.99 each)
Star Wars Cookies
Star Wars Sugar Cookies are a craft project more than a baking project.
The character cookies are created with the same method I used for Palm Tree and Pineapple Sugar Cookies. Thin cut-outs of colorful dough are pressed onto vanilla or chocolate sugar cookies, just like playing with play-doh.
A similar method for using colorful cookie dough cutouts to decorated sugar cookies is used to make Patterned Cookies for Rosh Hashanah.
In cool weather, I use corn syrup icing to decorate and add detail to sugar cookies. In hot weather, the icing could melt, so instead the designs are baked right onto the cookies. The process is easy, but time consuming.
If you plan to make 2 dozen Star Wars Cookies in the 5 designs shown here, I suggest creating the cookies over several days.
On the first day make the cookie dough and colored dough, roll and cut out the cookies, and roll out and chill the colored dough.
On day 2, decorate the cookies and bake.
Instructions
- Used one batch of vanilla dough and one batch of chocolate dough to create 12 cookies in each flavor (24 Star Wars Cookies).
- Use half of each batch of dough for the base cookies.
- Roll out the dough to ¼” between two sheets of parchment or wax paper.
- Cut into 2 ½“ circles. Store the dough circles between sheets of wax paper and wrapped in plastic wrap until ready to decorate and bake.
- Make the colored doughs. Use ¼ cup of chocolate dough with less than a drop of black food coloring for dark brown. Use 1 cup of chocolate dough with 3-4 drops of black food coloring for black. Use ½ cup of vanilla dough with 2-3 drops of yellow food coloring. Use ¼ cup of vanilla dough with 3 drops of royal blue food coloring for blue. Just a pinch of vanilla dough (about ½ teaspoon) with less than a drop of red food coloring for red.
- Roll out the yellow dough to ¼” and cut out 4 more 2 ½” circles (as the base cookies for C3PO). Keep the remaining yellow to use for details.
- Roll out each piece of colored dough (including the left over yellow dough plus about 2 tablespoons of the left over vanilla dough) to about ⅛”, between two sheets of parchment or wax paper.
- Freeze the dough between the rolling paper on a flat surface, such as a cookie sheet, for about 15 minutes or until firm.
C3PO
- Use a yellow base cookie.
- From the yellow detail dough, cut out two circles using the bottom of a #12 piping tip.
- Use the tip to cut out two white detail circles.
- From the black detail dough cut three thin strips and a small rectangle.
- Assemble the details on the base cookie.
- Place a small sheet of wax paper over the cookie and gently roll over the details to impress them into the base cookie dough.
R2D2
- Use a vanilla base cookie.
- From the blue detail dough, cut out a 2 ½” circle. Cut the blue circle into segments; a semi-circle, a thicker strip, a thinner strip, and a small rectangle.
- Roll a very small piece of black dough into a ball, then flatten.
- Roll a tiny piece of red dough into a ball, then flatten.
- Assemble the details on the base cookie.
- Place a small sheet of wax paper over the cookie and gently roll over the details to impress them into the base cookie dough.
Chewbacca
- Use a chocolate base cookie.
- From the black detail dough cut two small circles with the tip of a #12 piping tip, and half of a circle cut with the bottom of the piping tip. Also cut 4 long thin strips.
- Cut another half of a circle from the vanilla detail dough. To form a mouth cut the rounded edge of the white semi-circle to resemble two fangs.
- From the dark brown detail dough cut a rectangle that can be cut into 13 small pieces.
- Assemble the details on the base cookie.
- Place a small sheet of wax paper over the cookie and gently roll over the details to impress them into the base cookie dough.
Chewbacca's Ammo Belt
- Use a chocolate base cookie.
- From the black detail dough, cut one long thin strip.
- From the white detail dough cut a long rectangle and divide it into 5 small rectangles. Cut one of the small rectangles into fourths.
- Assemble the details on the base cookie.
- Place a small sheet of wax paper over the cookie and gently roll over the details to impress them into the base cookie dough.
Storm Trooper
- Use a vanilla base cookie.
- All of the details are cut from the black detail dough. Cut two larger circles with the bottom of a #12 piping tip. Divide one circle in half and shape the other into a rounded triangle.
- Cut two small black circles using the tip of the piping tip. Additionally, cut one long thin strip, one small square (cut in half to form two triangles), and a triangle (cut the bottom of the triangle out to form the arrow head shape).
- Assemble the details on the base cookie.
- Place a small sheet of wax paper over the cookie and gently roll over the details to impress them into the base cookie dough.
Related recipes
Galaxy Brownies feature swirls of colorful blondie on top of star speckled, fudgy brownie.
There are dozens of heat resistant recipes on The Monday Box perfect for hot weather shipping.
These soft and fudgy Brownie Cookies are a year round favorite for chocolate lovers.
Lemon Stars are delicious crunchy cookies that are a perfect fit for this space theme!
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Star Wars Cookies
Ingredients
Vanilla Sugar Cookie Dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ⅔ cup vegetable shortening Crisco
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Chocolate Sugar Cookie Dough
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup cocoa
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ⅔ cup vegetable shortening Crisco
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the vanilla dough and the chocolate dough separately, following these directions.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa (for the chocolate dough only), salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the shortening and sugar.
- Add in eggs, milk, and vanilla. Beat to combine, until smooth.
- Gradually add in the flour mixture until fully incorporated.
- Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour, until no longer sticky.
- Use half of each batch of dough for the base cookies. Roll out the dough to ¼” between two sheets of parchment or wax paper. Cut into 2 ½“ circles. Store the dough circles between sheets of wax paper and wrapped in plastic wrap until ready to decorate and bake.
- Make the colored doughs. Use ¼ cup of chocolate dough with less than a drop of black food coloring for dark brown. Use 1 cup of chocolate dough with 3-4 drops of black food coloring for black. Use ½ cup of vanilla dough with 2-3 drops of yellow food coloring. Use ¼ cup of vanilla dough with 3 drops of royal blue food coloring for blue. Just a pinch of vanilla dough (about ½ teaspoon) with less than a drop of red food coloring for red.
- Roll out the yellow dough to ¼” and cut out 4 more 2 ½” circles (as the base cookies for C3PO). Keep the remaining yellow to use for details.
- Roll out each piece of colored dough (including the left over yellow dough plus about 2 tablespoons of the left over vanilla dough) to about ⅛”, between two sheets of parchment or wax paper. Freeze the dough between the rolling paper on a flat surface, such as a cookie sheet, for about 15 minutes or until firm.
- Make on character design at a time. Cut out the required detail pieces from the colored dough. Assemble the details on the base cookie. Place a small sheet of wax paper over the cookie and gently roll over the details to impress them into the base cookie dough.
- Place the cookies 1”-2” apart on the prepared cookie sheet.
- Bake for 10 minutes. (The cookies will not be browned.)
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 10 days.
Notes
Nutrition
First Published: April 30, 2017. Last Updated: June 4, 2023. Updated for additional information, improved photos, and better reader experience.
Michele Morin
These are unbelievable! Thanks for sharing!
The Monday Box
Thank you, Michele! They were fun to make and share. 🙂
Kim~madeinaday
These cookies and galaxy brownies are pretty awesome! Love them! Pinned & sharing! Thank you for sharing on Merry Monday! Hope to see ya next week!
Kim
Smiling Notes
Let me tell you that I love all your posts!! I wish I were as talented as you haha 🙂 Thanks a lot for joining us at the Family Joy blog link up party! It's always a pleasure to have you. Pinned!
xoxo
Carlee
You've done it again and knocked it out of the park! These are cuter than cute and perfect for May the 4th!
The Monday Box
Thanks so much, Carlee! I am hoping they bring a big smile to my soldier! 🙂
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert
I could chew up that delicious Chewbacca cookie! All of these are so adorable. Once again you amaze me with your unending talent and generosity. Sharing and pinning!
Monica
YOU are my cookie hero! You totally knocked these Star Wars cookies out of the park. So good of you to put so much concentration and love into making these amazing cookies. You did an amazing job and gosh, I love those star sprinkles, Wendy! : )
The Monday Box
Thanks, Monica! You are so sweet! These cookies took longer than I had anticipated, but I was delighted with the results and am hopeful that my soldier will see and taste the love. 🙂 Warning about puffy sprinkles like those stars (Wilton). You can't bake them because they melt. They are meant to be added on top of iced goodies, though there is no indication on the package. Want to guess how I found out?! 😉
saltandserenity
Wendy, these are a labour of love!! Just adorable. Sadly, I am one of those bloggers that wakes upon May 4th or International Avocado Day, only to be greeted by an inbox full of organized bloggers posts about the the daily celebration. "Next year" I always vow. Somehow I forget all over again.
These are lucky soldiers. I admire your organizational skills and devotion.
The Monday Box
Thanks, Cindy! I felt like the caring was obvious when I mailed these off. 🙂 Truth is, I rarely have my act together. If a missed "holiday" excites me, I write it in the correct place on my blogging calendar for next year. Which makes me more aware of the date when I miss it again!! I even have a recipe I want to share for Pi Day and have missed it 3 years in a row!! Plus, you may notice that I usually post holiday recipes on the holiday itself, for "last minute" bakers. That's not a marketing ploy. That's my life. 🙂