And a bevy of techniques! For these Easter baskets, Julia combined stenciling (the bow and leaves on the bottom basket), needlepoint (the band on the center basket), and appliqué work (the floral bouquets) to add extra cookie excitement! For more details on these techniques
And that’s “attack” in the best of ways, because, as you can see here, the possibilities for decorating cookie plaques are limitless! For this set, Julia tested her technique repertoire by marbling and stenciling some of the cookie edges, rubber-stamping the messages,
Let’s look more closely at Julia’s earlier message plaque set. This particular cookie commemorates a little girl’s birthday and combines three techniques (stenciling, rubber-stamping, and beadwork) for extra panache. For all of these technique details, check out Julia’s book Ultimate Cookies.
Among Julia’s very first 3-D cookies designed for Easter 2013, these baskets stand out due to their intricate needlepoint patterns. For details about the needlepoint technique, check out this video on Julia’s YouTube channel. And for information about the simple
The needlepoint technique is pretty darn time consuming, as this detail shot of Julia’s 3-D Easter baskets might suggest. Be sure to set aside ample time should you choose this decorating route. Basically, needlepoint involves piping a delicate grid of
It’s easy to create elaborate patterns on cookies, such as these 3-D baskets, without a massive time investment. All you need is a stencil (Julia masked off a larger cake stencil for these basket sides), a steady hand, and a
Here’s a closer view of Julia’s contoured Easter basket cookies. The baskets are definitely cool, but let’s talk about the flowers inside them for a bit. They’re small cookies mounted on sticks (aka cookie pops) whose designs were made with
Julia’s great grandmother, affectionately called “Nana” by the Usher kids, served this ginger-coriander cake all by itself at Christmastime. (It is steamed, and has a high water content, so it is incredibly moist.) But, being the more-is-more person that Julia
How Christmassy is this red-and-green salsa?! Julia devised this delish recipe back in 2012, hoping it would be a light, fresh counterpoint to the traditionally heavy items on her Christmas menu (think: turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing) – and it
Julia’s mother-in-law Sal religiously served peanut brittle every Christmas, which Julia loved but didn’t find particularly Christmassy. One season, Julia tweaked the recipe by removing the peanuts and adding pistachios and dried cranberries instead – and, voilà, a new holiday
What?! Yes! Julia has created an ice cream that appeals to the senses on so many levels. By infusing it with lapsang souchong tea (made of camellia leaves that have been dried over a pinewood fire), the ice cream takes
A good homemade mayonnaise recipe should be in every recipe box – it’s simply that foundational, and that much better than store-bought. Here, Julia studded her mayo with lots of roasted garlic, turning it into a zingy accompaniment for her
Yum! Little more needs to be said about this s’mores-like cake pop toasted over the grill – it’s that scrumptious! Made by Julia for a Hamilton Beach grill promotion, these pops consisted of small pieces of flourless chocolate cake and
One most often sees bread pudding or some other hearty dessert capping off a winter meal. But wintertime is typically marked by holiday overconsumption, so it’s not uncommon for Julia to end her meals on a light, bright note. This
The details on this purple bud vase were created using the needlepoint technique, basically outlining and flooding taken to the extreme! For more information about the needlepoint technique, see this video by Julia. And for all you need to know
The regal white details on this red cookie vase were created by stenciling using a masked-off cake stencil. For more information about this technique and marbling (used for the flowers and leaves), see Julia’s book Ultimate Cookies. Also, check out
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