Pepperidge Farm's Famous Milano Cookie Was Actually Made To Fix A Messy Problem

Pepperidge Farm is a household staple for the best cookies and whole wheat bread in stores. Founded by a New England mother, Margaret Rudkin, who concocted a bread recipe to suit her son's allergies, just as Pepperidge Farm's now-famous line of bread loaves spawned from necessity, the Milano cookie also came about as a way to fix a messy problem.

In the 1950s, Rudkin traveled to Europe to study the artistry of fancy European cookies. She recruited Belgian bakers from a factory in Brussels to help formulate different cookie varieties to serve with afternoon tea or as dinner party desserts. The line of cookies debuted in 1955 and was sold in dainty white bags that still distinguish the Pepperidge Farm cookie brand today. 

Before the Milano, Pepperidge Farm had a cookie known as the Naples, which was an open-faced cookie topped with milk chocolate. However, in hot weather, the chocolate would melt off the cookies, creating a sticky mess on plates and fingers. The solution was to top it with another cookie to seal the chocolate in. Thus, in 1957, the Milano as you know it was born.

Since its debut in 1957, the Milano has expanded into a line of its own, with flavors that go far beyond the milk chocolate originals. In a ranking of 20 Pepperidge Farm cookies, the Orange and Chocolate, and the Double Dark Chocolate Milanos were among our taste tester's favorite. The Milano line includes 17 different flavors like Chai Latte, Caramel Cafe Au Lait, White Chocolate Coconut, and White Chocolate Lemon. But Milano also comes out with seasonal specialties. For example, Milano updated its holiday hot cocoa flavor for 2022, which was flavored with hazelnut. Other seasonal selections include Pumpkin Spice for fall as well as Amaretto Hot Cocoa.

Such a diverse variety of flavors opens up the possibilities for elaborate cookie trays that will save you the trouble of baking. But you can also transform Milanos into other creative desserts. Pepperidge Farm's own website recommends halving Milano cookies horizontally and using them as the base and the crust of an ice cream cake with a vanilla ice cream center and a caramel topping. You can also always turn the store-bought cookies into the best tiramisu of your life, as Milanos have the same slender and long shape as lady fingers. The chocolate filling will pair perfectly with the coffee and enhance the chocolate flavor of the cocoa powder.