Yay! So glad to hear this!!

Yes, you can load more than one tray in the oven and rotate the trays to ensure even browning of the dacquoise. But every oven is different (as far as its hot and cold spots) so I would just suggest watching the dacquoise somewhat closely. Also, I usually don't pipe out my meringue-based desserts before I am ready to put them in the oven, as the very act of placing the meringue in the piping bag and pushing the meringue through it causes some deflation (and for the meringue to warm up, which can further speed deflation). So I just try to keep the meringue reasonably cool and unhandled until I am ready to pipe it and place it in the oven. That seems to ensure the puffiest results if I can't put everything in the oven at once. I hope I've answered your question.

@@JuliaMUsher Thank you sooo much for this quick reply as I am about to put a second attempt in the oven. I just need to beat the whites so this is all very useful. I messed up my earlier attempt for a reason unrelated to this question and which was my fault. Of course, it got me thinking and this info is so valuable to help with future success, btw, Congratulations on all your recent deserved awards . another btw: not sure if I posted elsewhere that I made the baby rattles again. I made 32 this last time for my other niece. OMG what another hit!! My niece tells me that guests are still talking about them. I gave all credit to you. As cute as they were, the best part was watching three youngsters actually eat and enjoy them, Thank you Julia.

@@emiliamartucci8291 Yes, I saw you mentioned the 32 rattles elsewhere and I think I commented, but, if not, congrats again. And thanks for all of the sweet words!

Sure - as long as you serve the cookies relatively immediately after filling with the cream, if the filling is perishable (as the cookies and isomalt really can't be refrigerated for too long, or the cookies will get soggy and the isomalt will attract moisture).

Thanks - I appreciate the eraser tip - I have tried lightly filing them, but didn't have success, so will try the eraser method. I don't think a credit card is an option for spreading the food coloring, just for sanitation reasons, and the paper towel method works just fine. So I'll probably just stick with that approach.

Hello!

No, there is no exact height specification - I am not sure where you got that impression. For the 2-D Cookie and 3-D Cookie categories, the entries just need to fit within a certain space/area. So for 2-D Cookie, the entire entry must be no smaller than 1 x 1 foot (30 x 30 cm) and no bigger than 3 x 3 feet (91 x 91 cm). These measurements relate to the cookie or cookie composition and exclude any inedible baseboard, and are the width and length of the entry. There is no height constraint since they are flat cookies. For 3-D Cookie, a minimum of 12 decorated cookies must comprise this construction; there is no maximum cookie count. The cookies in the entry needn’t be flat; they can also be contoured, embossed, molded, modeled, sculpted, or otherwise shaped. The entire entry must fit into a 2 x 2 x 3-foot-tall (61 x 61 x 91-cm-tall, L x W x H) area. The entry may be smaller than this area, but it cannot be larger. Again, these dimensions relate to the cookie structure and exclude any inedible baseboard. So, again, there is NOT an exact height requirement, just requirements about the area/volume that the entry cannot exceed. And in the case of 2-D Cookie, the entry must also exceed the minimum 1 x 1-foot area. All of these details are spelled out in the rules in the Competition Overview post (link in the video description) for future reference, if needed. We have these constraints to ensure that entries are relatively apples-to-apples in terms of size, as it can be hard to evaluate a miniature entry against a ginormous one! :)

I wish I could, but I don't specialize in palette knife flowers. So sorry.

Dear Julia, Nevertheless thank you so much for your reply and may God always bless you.🙌🏻

@@anamariaassisdemoraes7483 So sweet of you to say! Thank you!

Thanks for the input, though I am not sure what you mean by the first part. One of the primary objectives of this competition is for entrants to come up with their own ideas that fit the annual competition theme. However, examples of Susie's past entries are shown at the end of the video, to give a sense of her personal progression from beginner to more advanced competitor. All past winning competition entries are also pictured in various blog posts in the competition section of the Cookie Connection blog (here: cookieconnection.juliausher.com/collection/julia-m-usher-s-cookie-art-competition, though you must scroll to find each year's winner reveal). The 2024 competition is also ongoing, as is indicated in the video description under the player (click on SEE MORE to view the full description, which also includes a link to the 2024 competition rules and registration). Susie is a past winner, simply talking here about the virtues of competing in the 2024 competition. I hope I've cleared things up, and that you consider competing!

​@JuliaMUsher Thank you!

Thanks so much; I can't wait to see your version so please share!

Thanks again for the very sweet words! :)

Many thanks!

Oh, thank you! :)

Thanks so much!

Have fun! Great idea!

Thank you again! Much appreciated!

Thanks so much!

Thanks so much 😊

So sweet of you to say! Glad it has been so helpful to you!

Great idea!

Yes, so many ways to make natural egg dyes! I wish I had more time to play with them all!

Thanks, and, yes, they get eaten. The project can be made within 24 hours once the cookies are baked, but the cookies don't get stale in that period of time. I look forward to seeing what you create!

You are so welcome!

Thank you so much! I am glad it was so helpful!

You are so welcome! XOXO

:) Thanks for making it on over here and commenting!

Thank you!

@@JuliaMUsher You're welcome. Thank you for sharing your beautiful work! 😊

This icing dries at room temperature (65F) overnight. Keep your cookies well-ventilated but in an area where nothing can fall on the icing (but do not cover the cookies or the icing won't dry). You can use pasteurized whites or meringue powder if you're worried about salmonella (substitutions are noted in my recipe), but the icing will not spoil in the time it takes to dry at normal ambient conditions.

Thank you!

You're welcome, and thank you for making them!

@JuliaMUsher I will be making alot more of your cookies I hope im not really a baker but I do my best now that I'm retired my kids & grandchildren will appreciate some cookies 🇨🇦❤️

@@katrinawaterman1547 ❤

So glad to hear this - please email them to me, as I would love to see ([email protected])! Or join my Facebook group (Julia M. Usher's group: facebook.com/groups/1960903937472796) and you can post them there!

Thanks so much!

Thanks!

You're welcome, though I can't say I originated the idea. People have been making parchment cones for eons . . . but because I get so many questions about why I pipe with cones so often and how I make mine, I decided to answer those questions with a quick video!

Yes, definitely!

Hi, all of these questions are answered in the recipes on my site, and the links to both of those recipes are in the video description under the video, which is where I always put recipe and key source links. So just look under the video player and click on "more", and all of the links will reveal to you. If you have lingering questions once you've read the recipes, I would be happy to answer them. But these questions are fully addressed in the recipes. Thanks for watching!

Thanks so much, Waqar. So nice to "meet" you here too!

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for the high compliment!

Thanks! I love working with cast sugar - it's a fun, but under-used medium!

You are very welcome! Thanks for watching, and Happy New Year!

Thanks so much! I don't sell my cookies so I don't have a price off the top of my head, but I'd price them the same way I did when I did sell. I'd go back to the fundamentals, build up all the costs (mostly labor), and mark up to make a profit. Obviously, they'd be expensive and only a certain clientele would likely appreciate the value.

Thanks so much!

I thought I replied to this note already, but can't find my response now for some reason. What you say is likely true, but, as I explain in the video, I use the shortcut of corn syrup and sugar because, by the time that mixture boils, it is at the softball stage. You don't need to take the added step of measuring temperature with a candy thermometer, as you should with a sugar-water mixture. So this approach saves time and hassle, IMO.

I doubt it would ever set if you add peanut butter in the quantity likely needed to flavor it.