I'm SO glad it continues to be helpful! 😀 Happy holidays!

I'm here, and I thank you for watching! Let me know if you have any questions. Happy holidays!

Such a sweet comment! Thank you, and happy holidays!

Because dough with butter will spread more (all else staying the same), and I want to minimize spreading when making pieces for gingerbread construction. I also find that butter interferes a bit with the spice profile; I taste the spices more clearly (which I prefer) with shortening in the dough as it essentially has no flavor.

@@JuliaMUsher I see :) Thank you so much for such a detailed answer, I truly appreciate it!!

@@Angel283 You're very welcome! Happy holidays!

Thanks! Yes, disco might have worked better with this concept, but I was specifically asked to do something in keeping with the show's theme (ballet) where it was presented.

So nice to hear that it's been helpful! Thanks for watching, and happy holidays!

@ Happy Holidays to you too ❤️

For some reason, I don't seem to get any "cratering" (denting in the middle) when making transfers. But if piping dots directly on cookies (or even when making transfers), make sure your icing is just thick enough to form a rounded bead without a peak. If too thin, it tends to sink and crater. You can also quick-set the icing by placing the cookies/transfers in a dehydrator or in front of an open one (or a fan). The latter helps to prevent craters too.

@JuliaMUsher thank you so much for your immediate reply ❤️

@@lamirada90638 You are most welcome!

Thank you! Cheers!

@ 🙏💝

Thank you so much 😀

@ 🙏💝

Thanks again!

Thank you again!

@ 🙏💝

Yes, I have had a KZbin channel for quite a while; I was one of the first cookiers on KZbin as well! 😀

@JuliaMUsher woww! God bless! Wishing you a ton of success

@@aartiebhagolie2375 Thank you so much!

@JuliaMUsher ❤️

No problem! I hope you enjoyed the video!

You're welcome! I hope you enjoyed the video!

You are very welcome!

Oh, such a sweet and kind comment! Thank you! And, yes, practice, practice, practice - that is what I also do every day! :)

Thank you!

I don't know what you mean by "bigger silicone 3-D baking molds", so it's hard to give you any precise quantity without knowing the actual mold size. But, as with anything I do for the first time, I try it and see how it goes. You can weigh the dough that goes into the mold the first time, and, if you like the results, then just use the same amount the next time. Also, if you know it takes X ounces of dough to fill a small mold of Y volume, then you can measure the volume of the big mold, and use basic math/ratios to figure out the dough needed to fill it. I hope this helps some.

Hi, Marcia! Thanks for the kind words. I don't recall ever posting that recipe if you're referring to her gingersnaps (that recipe isn't on my website either, which is where it would be if I had fully tested it and published it at any point). A modified version of it is used for my "Gingersnap Thumbprints" in "Cookie Swap", but that modified version is pretty different than the original. All that to say, I don't have that recipe available for distribution; I am sorry.

:)

Thanks for the suggestion, but I do not have the resources to add subtitles at this time. I am sorry.

Aww, thanks so much for the kind words! They made my day! Thanks as well for watching!

Baking time depends on the size and depth of the mold and how accurately your oven is calibrated, so I will never provide exact baking times. I bake at 375F until lightly browned to browned on the back side of cookies in molds. If you underbake, the dough will stick in the molds. You may need to experiment a bit with the actual mold you are using to optimize the baking time.

Thanks so much! I am in the process of experimenting and appreciate the 375 degree guideline! You are just the best! Love your work and your process!

@@trinatjersland3411 :) Thanks - what a delightful message to read this morning. You've started my day off on a nice foot!

Thanks again!

Thank you so much 😀

Thanks! I definitely didn't know what the Beauty and the Beast motifs were when I piped this doily many moons ago, but I can sort of see it now. :)

@@JuliaMUsher yah i like it 2 complicated 4 me but u do awesome work

@@rosametz8911 Thanks! It's easier than it may look!

Thanks for the kind words! I hope it works for you too; you made so many substitutions that I couldn't possibly predict the outcome myself! :) Best of luck, and keep me posted on your results! Also to note: I don't require/suggest kneading out the cocoa butter as a general rule (especially not in semisweet modeling chocolate, which rarely breaks). I only suggest doing it with white chocolate IF it breaks from overheating or over-stirring. There's no need or benefit to breaking the chocolate if it doesn't do so itself.

Thanks for the kind words and for watching!

:)

Please read my written recipe (the link is in the video description under the video); I explain all about the risks of salmonella when eating raw eggs and provide a number of possible substitutions.

Probably my baby rattle because it's so small.

@@JuliaMUsher omg they are beautiful!

@@RKOracle Thanks!

Aww, thanks so much! You made my day!

:)

Oh, thanks so much! I hope you continue to enjoy it!

Thanks - I'd love to see your version of this creation, so do share if you get around to making it!

@@JuliaMUsher oh gosh. I will do. If I start practicing now I should be able to make something by Christmas lol.

Thanks so much! These cookies are so old; I feel like I've evolved a lot since then! :)

Congrats again, Olga! I am so happy you're happy! Your entry was so charming and so well done, and, of course, it conveyed such a poignant journey for you!

Thank you! Cheers!

No, I am not aware of any developments here. So sorry.

@@JuliaMUsher thanks for your answer... can you indicate some brands of flavors of natural origin without chemistry inside?

@@ibraviragazzi Just the ones mentioned in the video; so sorry, I haven't spent time tracking natural food colorings since this video. But I haven't heard of any new advancements, so my best recommendation is to check out the brands already mentioned here.

I piped with royal icing here, as stated in the video title and shown in the video. Royal icing dries hard so the flowers can be easily picked up after a little drying time. Of course, you can also use the same piping process to make buttercream roses, but they will not dry in the same way and will need to be handled more carefully with other tools. I hope I've answered your question. Thanks for watching!

I have an Atlas/Marcato model, but there are many other brands, many of which are cheaper.

@@JuliaMUsher which model do you have? Thank you

@@Andris227 I just know what brand I have - I bought it a kajillion years ago, so I doubt model numbers are event the same now. Here's a link to the basic type I have: www.amazon.com/s?k=marcato+atlas+150+pasta+machine&hvadid=241610809578&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9022874&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=1653884533581005411&hvtargid=kwd-5022105945&hydadcr=13989_10211642&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_1mgfy6p8s1_e

Thank you! Love your work!

@@Andris227 You are very welcome, and thank YOU for watching!

Aww, thanks so much!

Thank you for the very sweet words!

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! :)