Julia M. Usher's Ultimate App

As I have mentioned before, I am a cook, not a baker. Oh, I bake a great deal, mostly out of necessity, but I'm just not passionate about being locked into formulas when I can run free in the land of “a pinch of this and a dash of that.” The truth is, baking scares me a little. Sure, I can mix up a batch of drop cookies with ease, but as cookie baking season approaches, the drop cookie just doesn't cut it. This is the season of the shaped, cut-out, sugar-dusted, stacked, rolled, glittered, assembled, gold-leafed, and otherwise artistically decorated cookies. It's terrifying!

I'm no stranger to the decorated cookie. Many of my efforts were miserable failures. You may recall my attempt to rubber stamp cookies. Then there were fortune cookies (that I eventually did indeed figure out, no thanks to Martha S. whose directions were all wrong), and finally cookies with royal icing and edible wafer paper.  We're talking weeks of my life that I'm never going to get back. 

If you fear cookie baking like I do, then I have good news.  That doyenne of desserts, the countess of cookies, Julia M. Usher, has an app. I was given a free download in exchange for an honest review and, honestly...it is fantastic!  This knocks every other cookie and baking app right out of the ballpark. Trust me when I tell you that it will be the best $7 that you spend this season. 

First of all, it is divided into three sections, beginner (yay!), intermediate, and advanced. Next there are ingredient and shopping lists for each cookie recipe, plus tips, techniques, detailed instructions, beautiful photos, a comprehensive list of sources for ingredients and supplies, and VIDEOS!  You can watch Julia create some of the most amazingly beautiful cookies right before your eyes.  It's as if you have your own personal pastry chef teaching you how to create edible works of art, step-by-step. I was mesmerized. 

Take a look at some of the images from this beautifully produced app:

The various categories help you hone in on what you want to create. 

In her videos you can learn all aspects of decorating.

This cute caterpillar cookie is for beginners and is really quite easy to make. 

Here is an image from the video in which Julia teaches you about color dusting. 

Lastly, look at these stunning cookies!

I don't know about you, but before I finished reading all of the recipes. I had the oven preheating and butter softening on the counter. Let this app be your gift to yourself this season, and prepare to dazzle with these deliciously decorative delights!

This post is linked to:

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Tutorials Tips and Tidbits

Be Inspired Friday

Show and Tell Friday

Sweets for a Saturday

Sunday Sweeties

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