There are a lot of holidays in March! For this month’s military care package, I had to choose between shamrocks and rainbows or bunnies and jelly beans. The almost overwhelming selection of Easter candy was too much to resist. I created an Easter themed care package for Sailor J. and made chocolate dipped Milano Cookie Easter Eggs to sweeten her holiday.
Why you'll love this recipe
It is hard for me to believe that this is the third Easter military care package I have sent. When I first started my “Smiles and Thanks from Home” project, I had no idea how meaningful it would be both to me and to the troops I have had the honor of adopting.
I get to bake and gather fun treats. The troops get cookies and candy. I get to thank the troops for the sacrifices they and their families make as they serve our country. The troops feel the appreciation and support included in each package.
There are so many ways to help support our military and their families with one-time or long term commitments. If you are interested, I recommend checking out Operation Gratitude, Cup of Joe, and Soldiers Angels. One word of warning. Making people smile is addicting.
Care Package Contents
A small, but strong, yellow Easter rabbit is traveling for the next few weeks to deliver this Easter basket/box. A plastic table cloth from the Dollar Store provided the polka dotted lining for the box flaps and cushioning for the bottom of the box.
The goodies inside include: pastel colored boxes of drink mix, numerous containers of candy (heavy on the jelly beans), decorative garland, fruit flavored marshmallows, Peeps, and lots of plastic eggs filled with more candy.
Decorated Cookies
I always include some kind of easily decorated cookie in my military care packages. Sometimes I send vanilla and chocolate sugar cookies iced, colored, or sprinkled. Other times I use a packaged cookie that I embellish to match the theme.
For this box I used mint Milano cookies coated in dark and white chocolate then decorated with colored white chocolate designs. Milano Cookie Easter Eggs are a pretty addition to a care package or holiday platter. Making the squiggles and dots is easy and would be a fun project to do with children.
Ingredients
- There are 15 Milano cookies in each package.
- To coat 15 cookies I used 1 ½ - 2 cups total of melted chocolate.
- To make the cookies half white chocolate and half dark, I used about 1 cup of each.
- In addition, for decorating about 1 ½ cups of melted white chocolate is needed.
Instructions
- Dip the cookies in the melted chocolate to coat completely then placed on a wax paper lined baking sheet. Chill the baking sheet of cookies in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes until the chocolate is set.
- When ready to decorate, divide the white chocolate for decorating into a separate small bowl for each color. Microwave on 50% power for about 1 minute until melted. Add oil based candy coloring to each bowl and mix to create an even color.
- Transfer the chocolate to piping bags or plastic sandwich bags. Cut off a tiny bit of the bottom tip of the bags to pipe the colored chocolate onto the coated Milanos. If the colored chocolate begins to cool and harden in the bag while you are decorating, re-melt it in the microwave for 10 seconds. Refrigerate the cookies again, to set the decorating chocolate.
Tips
- Be sure to keep weather in mind when shipping chocolate coated cookies. Milano Cookie Easter Eggs should only be mailed to and from cool weather locations.
- Usually, it is considered safe to send chocolate in military care packages to Afghanistan until the end of March.
- Wrapped the Milano Cookie Easter Eggs individually in a strip of wax paper, then in plastic wrap. Then place the wrapped cookies snuggly in plastic storage boxes.
New Recipe
Easter Krispie Bars are the new recipe included in this care package. The chewy Krispie Bars are an easy, no-bake treat speckled in spring colors.
Rice cereal and oatmeal provide crunch. Peanuts, m&m’s, and honey provide yum! Great for home or care package, these bars stay fresh for several weeks.
Related recipes
Crunchy, lemon Bunny Cookies with colorful candy melt decorations are another adorable Easter treat.
White Chocolate Bark for Easter! This treat is quick, easy, and SO pretty! Great for Mother's Day, bridal showers, and weddings too!
Cookie Press Butter Cookies are a quick and easy way to make dozens of colorful butter cookies in minutes with just 4 ingredients and no decorating needed.
Decorated Sugar Cookies that look like chicks and bunnies would be a great Easter Basket or care package addition.
Sheep Decorated Sugar Cookies are almost too cute to eat!
Polka Dot Decorated Sugar Cookies are the easiest iced cookie you will ever make.
Italian Easter Cookies are ideal with a cup of coffee any time of the year.
Milano Cookie Easter Eggs
Ingredients
- 15 Milano cookies 1 package
- 2 ½ cups white melting chocolate or candy melts
- 1 cup chocolate melting chocolate or candy melts
Instructions
- Dip the cookies in the 1 cup melted chocolate and 1 cup melted white chocolate to coat completely then placed on a wax paper lined baking sheet.
- Chill the baking sheet of cookies in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes until the chocolate is set.
- When ready to decorate, divide the remaining 1 ½ cups of white chocolate for decorating into a separate small bowl for each color. Microwave on 50% power for about 1 minute until melted. Add oil based candy coloring to each bowl and mix to create an even color.
- Transfer the melted chocolate to piping bags or plastic sandwich bags. Cut off a tiny bit of the bottom tip of the bags to pipe the colored chocolate onto the coated Milanos. If the colored chocolate begins to cool and harden in the bag while you are decorating, re-melt it in the microwave for 10 seconds.
- Refrigerate the cookies again, to set the decorating chocolate.
Notes
- Wrap the Milano Cookie Easter Eggs individually in a strip of wax paper, then in plastic wrap.
- Place the wrapped cookies snuggly in air tight plastic storage boxes.
Nutrition
First Published: March 13, 2016. Last Updated: June 24, 2023. Updated for improved better reader experience.
April J Harris
I think it's wonderful how you do these wonderful boxes for those serving away from their families, Wendy! Your Milano Cookie Easter Eggs look absolutely beautiful! Thank you for sharing them, and for being a part of the Hearth and Soul Link Party. Wishing you a lovely week!
Miz Helen
Lucky members to get this special box! Hope you are having a great weekend and thanks so much for sharing your great post with us at Full Plate Thursday!
Miz Helen
Jas @ All that's Jas
What a blessing for our troops! These are super cute and they made me smile too! How do you come up with so many cookie ideas? You're brilliant! 🙂
The Monday Box
Thank you so much, Jas! I am definitely not brilliant, just determined. 🙂 There seems to be an almost limitless number of cookies and cookie variations in the universe. Thank goodness! 😉
Carlee
They are all dressed up like Easter eggs! You always do such a beautiful job of decorating your cookies <3
Crystal
Milanos are my fav! You've made them look so festive and unrecognizable ? Thanks for shared with us at Family Joy Blog linky party ?
Smiling Notes
I really appreciate your thoughtfulness as well as your efforts. The cookies look really beautiful - better than any store bought cookies 🙂 Thanks for joining us at the Family Joy Blog link up party! Pinned. xoxo
Kimm at Reinvented
Love Milanos. Can't imagine how much better these are. Your decorating skills are on point.
Thanks for sharing at Funtastic Friday.
Miz Helen
These are very special Easter Cookies, just beautiful! Hope you are having a great weekend and thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday!
Miz Helen
The Monday Box
Thank you, Miz Helen! I'm glad you like these cookie "eggs". They are a lot of fun to make! Thanks for hosting Full Plate Thursday!