Description

People have been piping basketweave for what seems like eons, and almost every decorator has his/her own take. But few know how to make basketweave look as precise, elegant, and effortless as does Cookie Connection’s July 2025 Watch-Learn-Create Challenge #60 guest, Noriko Forster of Cookie Crumbs by mintlemonade. In this video, her kickoff demo for this challenge, Noriko demonstrates four stunning variations of basketweave, ranging from a simple single-strand style to more complex double-strand and tapered varieties. Along the way, she also shares invaluable tips about optimum icing consistency, creating piping guidelines, piping speed, and more – all to ensure you achieve flawless results with her techniques. At the conclusion of the demo, Noriko and challenge host Manu Pezzopane encourage viewers to create cookies of their own for Challenge #60 by replicating Noriko’s basketweave styles and/or by creating new styles inspired by what they’ve learned.

Once you’ve purchased, you’ll automatically receive a receipt with a link to a downloadable resource list with links to Noriko’s key tools. Then, simply return to this page to view the tutorial as often and for as long as you like. If you are logged into the site, the sneak peek video above will disappear and be replaced with the full-length video. To log in, simply go to the upper right account area of the site (in laptop viewing mode), and enter the username and password you created at the time of purchase.

About this Guest: Known the world over for her meticulous piping and picture-perfect icing – not to mention her ultra-sophisticated color choices – Noriko Forster needs little introduction. She started her cookie art journey in 2012 when she happened upon a cookie decorating book in a shop in her hometown of Tokyo, Japan. She was so intrigued that she decided she would cover a store-bought cake with cookies for her elder daughter’s birthday to make the cake extra special for her. She did just that, and the rest is history. By 2016, Noriko was teaching six cookie decorating classes per month, all while raising two girls and working as a book editor. By 2023, her cookies had been featured twice in a calendar produced by a famous Japanese cosmetics company, three times in Cookie Connection‘s coveted banner spot, and countless times in that same community’s Saturday Spotlights and challenges. Today, Noriko is arguably one of Japan’s finest cookie decorating instructors, having taught an estimated 1,000 students through her series of in-person, hands-on classes, and innumerable others through her online video tutorials.

Notes: While Challenge #60 is ongoing (through September 21, 2025, 5 pm CT), this tutorial is available for only $5 ($25 off) by applying a special Cookie Connection members-only discount code at checkout. To get this code, click on the discount code button (photo) below. You will be taken to Cookie Connection where you can retrieve the code; you will then be directed back to this page to complete your purchase. If you’re not a Cookie Connection member but want to take advantage of this discount, you certainly can, but you will need to become a member first. Just click the same button, and you will be prompted to sign up for Cookie Connection before you are given access to the code. (The signup process is free and fast!) Of course, you are not obligated to participate in the challenge if you buy this video, but Noriko, Manu, and Julia would certainly love it if you do! Again, for more information about Challenge #60, please visit the challenge kickoff post on Cookie Connection.

For other guest tutorials originally filmed for Cookie Connection challenges, including Noriko’s Challenge #56 tutorial (“Ruffle Borders”), check out the “MORE LIKE THIS” section below.

Details

Skill Level: All

Video Format: Recording of live demo by Noriko Forster; lightly edited

Video Length: 1:27:59

What You’ll Learn (4 Piped Basketweave Styles and ~6 Techniques)

• Four (4) piped basketweave styles, including Types (A) single-strand (i.e., single interwoven piped lines), (B) double-strand, (C) tapered single-strand, and (D) alternating band-and-strand
• Franken-cookies (i.e., cookies altered with reductive or additive methods; brief asides only for cookie shapes used for Types A and B piped basketweave styles)
• Best royal icing consistency for piped basketweave
• Piping best practices for all piped basketweave styles (including use of painted icing underlay, scoring guidelines, planning where to start and stop piping, piping speed, cleaning piping bag tips, and adjusting piped lines with brush)
• Royal icing transfers (for Type D handles only)
• Molded cookies (brief aside only)
• Arranging and attaching royal icing transfers in artful bouquets

What You’ll Receive:

• Forever-access to video recording on this site
• Resource list with links to Noriko’s key tools used in this video, along with piping guidelines and tips

Video Outline (Time Stamp):

• Introduction of guest Noriko Forster and Challenge #60 topic by host Manu Pezzopane (0:00 – 2:52)
• Overview of Noriko’s four piped basketweave styles (Types A, B, C, and D) covered in the demo and her general approach to piped baskwetweave (2:53 – 3:26)
• Review of best royal icing consistency for piped basketweave (3:27 – 5:46)
• Demonstration of Type A piped basketweave: single-strand style (including franken-cookie tips and all piping best practices noted above) (5:47 – 24:01)
• Demonstration of Type B piped basketweave: double-strand style (again, including franken-cookie tips and all piping best practices noted above) (24:02 – 44:03)
• Demonstration of Type C piped basketweave: tapered single-strand style (including all piping best practices noted above as well as tips and cutters for making 3-D variation) (44:04 – 1:04:16)
• Demonstration of Type D piped basketweave: alternating band-and-strand (including all piping best practices noted above as well as royal icing transfers for handles) (1:04:17 – 1:15:20)
• Molded cookie tips (brief aside only) (1:15:21 – 1:17:50)
• Arranging royal icing flower and leaf transfers (1:17:51 – 1:24:58)
• Visual recap of four finished piped basketweave styles (1:24:59 – 1:25:28)
• Discussion of Challenge #60 rules plus closing remarks (1:25:29 – 1:27:59)

Purchase Agreement: Julia M. Usher, LLC is the sole copyright owner of this video tutorial. Noriko Forster, aka Cookie Crumbs by mintlemonade, is the sole copyright owner of the companion handout, and has granted permission to Julia M. Usher, LLC to distribute it in perpetuity along with this tutorial. Reproduction, distribution, resale, and/or any other use for financial gain of this video or handout, in whole or in part, are strictly prohibited. However, as the purpose of the tutorials in Julia’s Watch-Learn-Create challenge series is to teach, any knowledge gleaned from this video and handout can be used to make cookies or other products for either personal use or sale. In purchasing this tutorial, you acknowledge that you agree to these terms of use.

Julia’s Return Policy: Due to the online nature of this tutorial, all sales are final.

Video Production: Noriko Forster and host Manu Pezzopane, via ECamm Live. Again, this class is a recording of a live online demo, so production value will vary throughout the video depending on internet conditions at the time. It is also only lightly edited, so there may be brief pauses as the guest gathers tools or cleans between demo steps.