Recipes for a Sweet Life

Springtime Splurge!

2013-04-01T06:15:00+00:00

Springtime Splurge! Purposely eclectic, this cookie collection was made by Julia for a recent cookie decorating class in order to demonstrate a wide range of techniques. There’s a smattering of almost everything in this set! For more details on marbling, stenciling, wafer-papering, and a host of other ways to style your cookies, take a look at Julia’s 16-video cookie decorating course.

Bevy of Baskets

2013-04-01T06:12:49+00:00

Bevy of Baskets. And a bevy of techniques! For these Easter baskets, Julia combined stenciling (for the bows and leaves on the bottom two baskets), needlepoint (the band on the center basket), and appliqué work (for the floral bouquets) to add extra cookie excitement! For more details on these techniques and many others, take a look at Julia’s 16-video cookie decorating course.

Posies, Butterflies, and Baskets, Oh My!

2013-04-01T06:11:56+00:00

Posies, Butterflies, and Baskets, Oh My! For more splash, Julia’s added a few marbled butterflies and posies to her basket mix. The latter cookies show examples of appliqué work (in the flower arrangements on top) and stenciling and needlepoint work on the posy “handles.”

Stenciling Two Ways

2013-04-01T06:09:33+00:00

Stenciling, Two Ways. Though the boldness of these cookies departs from Julia’s normally elegant style, the layering of textures and techniques does not! For these brassy butterfly cookies, Julia layered two types of stenciling: (1) airbrushing to create the dark brown background pattern and (2) royal icing for the colorful butterflies on top. For added depth, she hand-piped lines and dots - many, many dots! For more stenciling tips, check out Lesson 10 in Julia’s 16-lesson video series.

Plaque Snack

2013-04-01T06:07:50+00:00

Plaque Snack. This edible plaque commemorates a little girl’s birthday and combines three techniques (stenciling, rubber-stamping, and beadwork) for extra panache.

Plaque Snacks

2013-04-01T06:06:24+00:00

Plaque Snacks, Plural! And the edible plaque possibilities are limitless! Here, Julia expanded her repertoire by marbling some of the cookie edges and swapping the same colors into different cookie positions! For more about marbling, check out Lesson 9 in Julia’s 16-lesson video series.

Butterfly Baskets

2013-03-30T06:06:54+00:00

Butterfly Baskets. Among Julia’s many 3-D cookies designed for Easter 2013, these baskets stand out due to their intricate needlepoint patterns.

Butterfly Baskets, Zoomed In!

2013-03-30T06:05:57+00:00

Butterfly Baskets, Zoomed In! Needlepoint is pretty darn time consuming, as this detail shot might suggest, so be sure to set aside ample time should you choose this decorating route. Basically, needlepoint involves hand-piping a delicate grid of icing onto the cookie, and then flooding the holes in the grid with looser icing, usually of one or more different colors, to create impressive patterns. This basket took Julia about 45 minutes to ice. But once you get the hang of it, the process can be very relaxing, some say therapeutic even! Stay tuned for Julia’s needlepoint tutorial, coming soon!

Stenciled Easter Basket Trio

2013-03-30T06:04:51+00:00

Stenciled Easter Basket Trio. Yep, these freestanding baskets are pretty much all cookie, except for the delicate fondant handles perched on top.

Stenciled Basket Detail

2013-03-30T06:00:25+00:00

Stenciled Easter Basket Detail. It’s easy to create elaborate patterns on cookies, such as these baskets, without a massive time investment. All you need is a stencil (Julia masked off a larger one for cakes to use here), a steady hand, and a small amount of Royal Icing! For more stenciling details, check out Julia’s tutorial and/or Lesson 10 of her video series.