stacie lang

SWEATHER WEATHER… ISH

Clothes0

It’s 100 degrees outside today, so naturally I filled up a bunch of online carts and then left them for someone who can safely wear a sweater to the mailbox in September. Feel free to shop my favorites here, and then go ahead and drink a hot chocolate for me while you’re at it. 😉

The Best Biscuits in the Business

Food0
Best biscuits in the business right here. The recipe yields the perfect amount (well I mean, Geoff and I ate the entire batch in one sitting but that’s neither here nor there), and they can be whipped up in less than 40 minutes from start to finish. See how they’re made in 15 seconds, here.

Ultimate Zucchini Bread

Food, reviews0

I’ve been loyal to the same zucchini bread recipe since high school (that was very telling of how cool I was in high school, wasn’t it?), but I recently decided to branch off and try this one instead, and I can confidently say that it’s my new go-to! It’s just as easy, full of flavor, and what really sold me… the sweet and crunchy bark-like top it comes out of the oven with. I wanted to go full George Costanza and save the top layer in a ziploc bag to hoard for myself. (Zucchini Top Singles!) Consider trying this recipe out this holiday season, and don’t forget a healthy smear of butter or cream cheese when serving. That’s non-negotiable. 

Watch Out, Auntie Anne

Food, reviews0
I never considered myself to be the biggest soft pretzel lover, but then I made these, and everything changed. They were SO fun to make, a lot easier than I imagined, and the different ways to serve them were endless. Salted and on their own, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and paired with a side of cream cheese frosting, or served with a a Torchy’s copycat queso dip. Okay maybe not endless, that’s actually all I can think of. But! Give these a try and let me know how amazing your house smells while these are baking. Worth making for that reason alone.

Our Favorite Pizza Dough Recipe

Food, How To0

One meal we repeat more than we probably should in this house, is homemade pizza. A couple years back we got a Blackstone Pizza Grill and have had so much fun learning how to up our pizza game. (Correction: Geoff has had fun learning, I’ve just had fun being the official taste-tester.) When Summer hit and it got way too hot to cook pizza over a 500 degree flame outside, we got the Baking Steel Stone for inside and honestly like the results just the same, if not better! We follow this 72 Hour Dough Recipe exactly (which makes 4 12″ pies) but sometimes substitute the bread flour for 00 flour if we have it on hand. Some of our favorite combos are fresh mozzarella with Boars Head pepporoni + hot honey, BBQ chicken + red onion, sweet potato + ricotta + caramelized onions, roasted corn + tomatoes, and lemon zest + goat cheese.



In a rush? The first several times we test drove our Blackstone, we practiced first with store bought dough. (Learning how to launch a pie is no joke! Be sure you have a good pizza peel and dust whatever you build your pie on with some semolina flour.) Store bought dough can make the whole process much simpler and quicker, and you can get some pretty good results with dough from Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s. (Or ask your local pizzeria if they’ll sell you pre-shaped dough balls!) If you decide to go this route, just be sure to allow the dough to rest (up to 5 hours) as individual balls to obtain a shapeable dough. Cold dough that hasn’t rested will be incredibly elastic, making it near impossible to work with. If you have to use a rolling pin to shape your dough, it’s not ready yet, and you likely won’t get that light and airy crust we all love. Once you’ve mastered the art of simply working with dough, challenge yourself and try out the 72-hour dough! (Having a bin like this, and containers like these for each dough ball is super helpful, too!) GOOD LUCK and sure to check out Baking Steel’s site for more tips and recipes! 🙂

The go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe

Food, How To1

       
 
The chocolate chip cookie recipe I grew up on and made at least twice a week since I was a little girl (because yes, I’m kind of Monica Geller). And if for whatever reason I wasn’t in the baking mood that day, my Mom or one of my 3 sisters took the reins, ha! You can imagine this recipe makes me pretty nostalgic (Crisco and all), and I could go on and on about these, but, you came here for the recipe so, enjoy. And eat an extra spoonful of cookie dough for me.
2/3rd Cup Softened Butter
2/3rd Cup Shortening
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 and 3/4th Cup Flour
1 and 1/2 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
*Sea Salt for Sprinkling
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine softened butter, shortening, brown sugar, and white sugar in a stand mixer.
3. Add eggs until mixed, then vanilla. 
4. Combine sifted dry ingredients (salt, baking soda, and flour) and add to the bowl.
5. Stir in chocolate chips. (I like to store my chocolate chips in the freezer, instead of chilling any dough.)
6. Bake cookies until just golden brown, about 8-9 minutes. I always lean towards undercooking my cookies and letting them firm up on the pan for 5 minutes. (That way they keep longer and taste just as good the next day!) While cooling, I sprinkle some coarse sea salt on top for extra flavor, and then let cool completely on a cooling rack. Enjoy!