Julia continues her latest botanical series with these cookies inspired by the very beauties climbing her own garden arbor. (Or we should say “arbors”; she grows many varieties of clematis!) This edible variety is made entirely of royal icing transfers, some contoured and others stenciled, like the delicate trellis in the background. After drying, each piece is individually airbrushed and then assembled together on the cookie to create this masterpiece. A labor of love, no doubt, but definitely a project anyone can do with Julia’s detailed step-by-step instructions.
After a false start at its usual in-person home at That Takes the Cake (TTTC) Show, Julia’s annual cookie competition has once again gone virtual in 2022. (When TTTC canceled due to COVID for the second year in a row, Julia insisted that the “show must go on” and so it is!) Registration officially re-opened on June 15, 2022 with the same Broadway & Musicals theme and the same categories and skills classifications as previously announced on the TTTC site. As always, the prizes are unmatched – over $19,000 USD is currently up for grabs, and that number is expected to grow! Entries are due on October 15 (5 pm CDT), and judging will commence shortly afterwards. In addition to the usual 2-D and 3-D Cookie categories, two new skills classifications (Advanced/Master and Beginner/Intermediate) have been added this year to make it easier for cookiers of all experience levels to join the fun and learning. And, don’t forget, the now-online nature of the competition allows anyone anywhere in the world to participate – a silver lining, for sure!
To see the 2022 competition rules and to register to enter, click “MORE INFO HERE”. For last year’s winners, check out the competition section under “News” in the blog.
After a couple of COVID-years of limited travel and no in-person classes, Julia is thrilled to be on the class circuit again in 2022 and 2023! She’s teaching at most of the major cake shows in the US and also traveling as far afield as Brazil. Of course, she’ll try to keep up a steady stream of Zoom classes too.
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After nearly six months in development, my new Kitchen Club Collection has arrived! Here’s an overview of some of the cookies you can make with my first kit in the collection, which released just in time for Halloween. Complete with stencils, cutters, and even an instructional video, each kit will provide all you need to make wonderfully rich and layered 2-D, and often 3-D, stenciled cookie designs.
Stay tuned for more holiday releases in October and November! I hope you love my new club and kits as much as I loved designing them for you! – Julia
