Blog: Recipes

For as long as Julia can remember, she’s loved to experiment in the kitchen – and not just with sweets! Here, you’ll find some of her favorite cookie recipes alongside those for cakes, icing, candies, savories, and even sippables. Though there’s lots to chew on here, you’ll have to get Julia’s books for access to all of her tried-and-true cookie recipes. Good news: She’s got a bunch of both books stocked under “SHOP”.

Julia M. Usher

Pecan Dacquoise

The country cousin of the fancy macaron, dacquoise has all the same great flavor and texture, but none of the hassle! Layer these nutty disks with buttercream or other fillings to make elegant tortes, or stuff them to overflowing with ice cream for a more rustic summertime dessert

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Julia M. Usher

Super Chocolate-Rosemary Ice Cream

Originally written for Chocolatier (now Dessert Professional) magazine, this recipe is wonderful (and easy) with or without the rosemary. But seeing as I grew up with a mom who had a predilection for all things green, I’m partial to the rosemary myself

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Julia M. Usher

Perfect Pâte á Choux (aka Cream Puffs)

Adapted from the pâte á choux recipe in Madeleine Kamman’s The Making of a Cook, this basic formulation can be used with both sweet and savory fillings simply by tweaking the salt content a bit. Though there are different schools of thought about the ingredients that yield the maximum puff, I subscribe to

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Julia M. Usher

Horseradish Mousse

A casual dollop of this zippy accompaniment does wonders atop smoked fish or roasted or grilled meat. (Its three tablespoons of horseradish pack a punch, so you won’t need much!) But it also “cleans up” well when piped into fancier

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Julia M. Usher

Rhubarb-Ginger Compote

Vacation is for keeping it simple with easy and versatile dishes – especially when you spend your work week decorating lavish treats as I do. After a strictly enforced four-day hiatus from cooking during a recent holiday in Maine, I

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Julia M. Usher

Sour Cream-Rhubarb Streusel Coffee Cake

Yum! Here’s my Rhubarb-Ginger Compote all souped up in a sour cream streusel coffee cake! (Betcha can’t say that three times fast.) Enjoy it warm from the oven; cooled to room temp and cut into big, satisfying slabs; or reheated with

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Julia M. Usher

Cutout Cookie Gingerbread

High on spice yet relatively delicate in texture, this dough is perfect for 2-D cookies and small-scale 3-D construction projects. It also spreads less than my Signature Sugar Cookie Dough, making it more suitable for tight-fitting angular constructions

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Julia M. Usher

Largely Undoctored Crab Salad

When seafood goes straight from the water to your local market – as it does on my island home-away-from-home in Stonington, Maine – resist the temptation to dress it up with fancy sauces or dips or lots of mayo and other gunk. Instead, let its essence of summer sing out loud and clear

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Julia M. Usher

Semisweet Modeling Chocolate

Recently I’ve heard some trepidation about modeling chocolate expressed within my circles on the internet. But, truly, there’s nothing to fear about this quick and easy two-ingredient recipe. Plus, it’s really tasty, much tastier than

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Julia M. Usher

White Modeling Chocolate

Hey, have you mastered semisweet modeling chocolate yet? If so, it’s time to advance to the white chocolate version. As yummy as the semisweet recipe is, it has its limitations – like it’s impossible to tint! So when I’m in need of a really tasty modeling medium and the flexibility to add color, I turn to

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Julia M. Usher

My Favorite Italian Buttercream

Super creamy and not cloyingly sweet (like its American counterpart), my Italian Buttercream lets flavor shine over sugar, and is the best icing I’ve found for smoothly icing cakes. It’s also my go-to icing whenever I want

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Julia M. Usher

Nana’s Gingerbread Cake

Because I often spend the bulk of my work week decorating reaaally detailed cookies, I like to unwind when it comes to other baking, especially during the jam-packed holidays. This season, I did a quick version of my Nana’s Gingerbread Cake,

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Julia M. Usher

Clementine Cocktail

How did you ring in the New Year? I did it with hubby and a colorful clementine cocktail! The candied citrus rounds not only add a festive note (I love how they sparkle in the right light), but they can also do double-duty in other dishes. In the past, I’ve

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Julia M. Usher

Cranberry-Pomegranate Salsa

With all the turkey consumed between Thanksgiving and New Year, the world needs a condiment that breaks from the same old cranberry sauce-tradition! This recipe – a mildly hot, reasonably tart, crunchy-creamy blend – was born of a lucky experiment

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Julia M. Usher

Mulled Cider Sorbet

Who says mulled cider has to be hot? Here’s an icy, spicy-sweet version that makes a wonderful holiday pie topper or standalone amuse bouche

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