Ultimate Star Wars Gift Box: Curated Collector’s Care Package

This care package celebrates International Star Wars Day. Galaxy Brownies and Star Wars Sugar Cookies were boxed and mailed to arrive in time for the May 4^th observance. May the 4th be with you!

Why you’ll love this recipe

International Star Wars Day on May 4 is a fun reason to bake themed treats. Although I only discovered the holiday recently, fans have celebrated the pun “May the 4th be with you” for decades. The idea came up in a Soldiers’ Angels Facebook group where members share care-package ideas. After seeing others send themed packages, I began collecting Star Wars items and this year prepared Star Wars Sugar Cookies and other goodies to send.

Care package

When decorating a military care package, choose adhesives that survive heat and handling. Regular glue can fail in warm weather, so I used decorative duct tape. One 10-foot roll covered the flaps of a large flat-rate box with some left over. For this box I used galaxy-patterned tape and added a few recognizable Star Wars phrases and images for flair.

Care package contents

Star Wars merchandise is widely available. I found bubbles, puzzles, tissues, Q-tips, ice pops, and candy at discount stores. You can also download printable wrappers to transform packaged snacks into themed treats (examples include “Princess Leia Honey Buns,” “Boba Gum,” and “Wookie Cookies”). Star Wars shirts and other apparel are easy to find online and make great additions to a care box.

Star Wars Cookies

These Star Wars Sugar Cookies are more of a craft than a simple bake. The character details are created from thin cutouts of colored dough that are pressed onto vanilla or chocolate cookie bases—similar to working with play-dough. In cooler weather I sometimes use corn syrup icing for details, but in warm conditions it’s better to bake the designs into the cookies so they don’t melt. The technique is straightforward but time-consuming, so plan accordingly.

If you want to make about two dozen cookies in the five designs shown, split the work across two days: prepare and chill dough on day one; assemble details and bake on day two. Roll the base dough and cut circles, then roll and chill the colored dough so it’s firm enough to cut precise shapes.

Instructions

1. Prepare one batch of vanilla dough and one batch of chocolate dough to yield about 24 cookies (12 of each flavor).
2. Use half of each batch for base cookies.
3. Roll the dough to 1/4″ between sheets of parchment or wax paper.
4. Cut 2½” circles and store them between sheets of wax paper, wrapped in plastic, until ready to decorate and bake.
5. Make colored doughs: for dark brown use 1/4 cup chocolate dough with a trace of black food coloring; for black use 1 cup chocolate dough with 3–4 drops black; for yellow use 1/2 cup vanilla dough with 2–3 drops yellow; for blue use 1/4 cup vanilla dough with 3 drops royal blue; for red use a pinch (about 1/2 teaspoon) of vanilla dough with a tiny bit of red.
6. Roll the yellow dough to 1/4″ and cut four additional 2½” circles for C-3PO bases; reserve the rest for details.
7. Roll each colored dough piece to about 1/8″ between parchment sheets, then freeze the sheets on a flat tray for about 15 minutes until firm.
8. Work on one character at a time: cut required detail shapes from the chilled colored dough, assemble them onto the base cookie, cover with a small sheet of wax paper, and gently roll to press the pieces into the base dough.
9. Place cookies 1″–2″ apart on a lined baking sheet and bake at the recommended temperature for about 10 minutes. The cookies should not brown noticeably.
10. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
11. Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 10 days.

C-3PO

1. Use a yellow base cookie.
2. Cut two small yellow circles for eyes using the bottom of a #12 piping tip; cut two white detail circles as highlights.
3. From black detail dough cut three thin strips and a small rectangle for face details.
4. Assemble details on the yellow base and gently roll a small piece of wax paper over them to set.

R2-D2

1. Use a vanilla base cookie.
2. Cut a 2½” blue circle and divide it into segments: a semi-circle, a thicker strip, a thinner strip, and a small rectangle.
3. Make tiny flattened black and red circles for details.
4. Arrange pieces on the base and gently press with wax paper to set.

Chewbacca

1. Use a chocolate base cookie.
2. From black detail dough cut two small circles and one half-circle plus four long thin strips.
3. Cut a white half-circle, trim the edge to suggest fangs for the mouth.
4. From dark brown detail dough cut a rectangle and divide it into about 13 small pieces for the bandolier.
5. Assemble and gently press the pieces into the base with wax paper.

Chewbacca’s Ammo Belt

1. Use a chocolate base cookie.
2. Cut one long thin strip from black detail dough for the belt strap.
3. Cut a long white rectangle and divide it into five small rectangles; cut one of those into fourths for smaller pouches.
4. Assemble and press the pieces into the base.

Storm Trooper

1. Use a vanilla base cookie.
2. Cut all details from black dough: two larger circles (one halved), a rounded triangle for the helmet, two small circles for eyes, one long thin strip, a small square cut into two triangles, and a small arrowhead shape.
3. Assemble and press the pieces into the base to create the helmet and facial details.

Related recipes

Galaxy Brownies feature swirls of colorful blondie on top of star-speckled fudgy brownies and make a great companion to these cookies. The Monday Box also has many heat-resistant recipes suitable for shipping in warm weather, as well as crowd-pleasers like Brownie Cookies and Lemon Stars that fit this space-themed package.

Ready to bake? Sign up for newsletters or follow recipe updates through the usual channels to get new ideas and recipes delivered to your inbox. Happy baking—and may the 4th be with you!

First Published: April 30, 2017. Last Updated: June 4, 2023. Updated for additional information, improved photos, and better reader experience.