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Need one of Julia’s foolproof recipes? Some stunning cookie decorating ideas? Or a quick fix on Julia’s latest news and events? Well then, you’re in the right place! Here, you can stay up-to-the-minute current on everything that’s happening in Julia’s kitchen and studio – and in that always-churning mind of hers! IMPORTANT: Julia is still formatting blog entries prior to 2021 to conform to the new site layout. Please don’t be surprised if some back entries look a little wacky, and please be patient as she edits them over time.
Julia M. Usher

Cinnamon-Walnut Crescent Cookies

My Mom is a fanatic for all things fresh, so I guess it should come as no surprise that I spent a ton of time with her in the kitchen as I was growing up. While other moms were happy

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May 4, 2010
Julia M. Usher

Postcard Place Card

I’ve got vintage postcards for every major holiday. Often, I just tuck them into tabletop vignettes to help convey the seasonal party theme. But some cards are so gorgeous, they deserve a more prominent place atop a special place card

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April 5, 2010
Julia M. Usher

Dough-Wrapping Technique Tips

I’ve just begun to play with dough-wrapping to create cool 3-D cookie effects – and I love it! But what the heck is dough-wrapping, you might ask?! Good question! It’s basically the art of creating contoured cookie pieces by baking

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April 4, 2010
Julia M. Usher

Wafer-Papering Technique Tips

Wafer-papering is relatively new to cookie decorating and involves nothing more than a simple cut-and-paste technique. For the uninitiated, wafer papers are thin, translucent sheets of dehydrated potato starch, water, and vegetable oil, which come both plain and pre-printed with

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April 4, 2010
Julia M. Usher

Flourless Chocolate-Guinness Stout Cake

In dreaming up desserts for my recent St. Patty’s Day KMOV TV appearance, I devised this to-die-for Guinness stout-laced cake. Though beer in a cake may sound more than a little odd at first take, mull over malted milk balls for

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March 29, 2010
Julia M. Usher

Bring in Spring

Around about mid-March last year, I caught a serious case of spring fever. No surprise really, considering the season’s painfully long St. Louis winter. Plus, there was only so much swaddling in sweaters, socks, and blankets that I could take.

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March 28, 2010
Julia M. Usher

Hard-boiled Quail Eggs with Curry Mayo

A sexy hard-boiled egg? Well, that’s how my good friend described this springtime amuse bouche when I planted it atop his dinner plate last weekend. Come to think of it, there is something pretty alluring about peeling back these eggs’

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March 24, 2010
Julia M. Usher

Guinness Braised Beef

Now here’s something to stout (oops, shout) about – and just in time for St. Patty’s Day! This recipe harks from my James Beard-nominated column in Sauce magazine, from the article where I put two culinary giants – food scientist

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March 6, 2010
Julia M. Usher

Stenciling Technique Tips

A cookie decorating technique after my own heart, stenciling doesn’t require that you be a born-again Van Gogh. With a pretty stencil, the right consistency of Royal Icing, and some practice, anyone can make gorgeous stenciled works of art. Read on

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March 1, 2010
Julia M. Usher

Royal Icing with Consistency Adjustments

Royal icing is hands down my favorite icing for cookie decorating. The egg whites in royal icing make it faster drying than confectioner’s icing, where the liquid content is usually milk or cream, and better for fine detail work, as

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February 15, 2010
Julia M. Usher

Marbling Technique Tips

Marbling is responsible for the wonderfully intricate, Italian watermark-like patterns on the various cookies, pictured right. While marbling gives the appearance of being complex, it’s actually one of the quickest and most forgiving cookie decorating techniques around. The technique looks

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February 15, 2010
Julia M. Usher

Pancetta-Sage Mac ‘n Cheese

When asked by my editor at Sauce magazine to develop a soul-satisfying winter dish, I could think of nothing better than mac ‘n cheese. (No surprise, really. I’m a comfort food gal through and through, if you didn’t know already!)

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February 14, 2010
Julia M. Usher

Love Letters

When a box of Russell Stover’s no longer registers appreciative oohs and ahs, offer this Valentine’s project as a token of your undying love. It says something special, pun intended. What you’ll need for 1 box:(See accoutrements, second photo from

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February 14, 2010
Julia M. Usher

French Bistro Menu

Oh, there’s nothing better than a project that lets me share my treasures and keep them too! Last year, I rescued a stack of blank vintage bistro menus from a dusty corner of a nearby antiques store. Rather than write

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February 14, 2010
Julia M. Usher

Love Letters Redux

Another interpretation of cookie “love letters” – and a much more literal interpretation at that! The envelopes here are iced gingerbread cookies (yes, you heard me right!) and the carrying container is a dolled up papier mâché mailbox!What you’ll need

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February 14, 2010
Julia M. Usher

Cotton Candy Cupid Clouds

Put everyone in high spirits with these whimsical Valentine’s Day cotton candy displays. In addition to the candy, two other parts are edible! What you’ll need for 1 display: Cylindrical glass vase (choose a size that best fits your overall

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February 14, 2010

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